


My Biggest Mistake, My Greatest Salvation

by LyricalKris



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama/Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-02
Updated: 2012-08-08
Packaged: 2017-11-06 16:08:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 105,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/420782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalKris/pseuds/LyricalKris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward has spent all of his thirty-two years trying to be the man his grandfather raised him to be. When he wakes up married to a young, scared, pregnant stranger, this is one mistake he won't leave in Vegas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GinnyW](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=GinnyW).



> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=MBMMGSbannerfinal2.jpg)
> 
> ****  
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> 
> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=MBMMGSbanner1.jpg)****  
> 
> 
> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=MBMMGSbanner.jpg)

**Dedication: To GinnyW, who is, without a doubt, the father of this fic. Do you know what happens when you begin a conversation with Ginny that starts off "I've always wanted to do a wake up married in Vegas fic..." ...Well... you're about to read the result.**

**Disclaimer: I am merely playing in SM's driveway with her beautiful toys.**

* * *

Not for the first time, it occurred to Edward Cullen that he had a flare for masochism.

What else could explain what he was still doing there - sitting alone while he tried to ignore the empty spot across from him and the remnants of a drink, nubs of ice melting into the pale tan of what used to be a long island iced tea. He distracted himself by watching as the glass sweated droplets of water that pooled on the table of one of the countless little restaurants tucked into the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Beside him, his own glass sat untouched. She'd bought the drink, carried it over to his table as she sat across from him, and he'd tactfully ignored it as he was prone to do since he'd come of legal drinking age eleven years earlier.

What, besides a masochistic nature, could explain why he was pretending to go over his notes for the presentation he had to give tomorrow, but instead was staring at the keycard she'd placed on the table between them?

Edward wiped a hand over his eyes, rubbing tiredly, wishing he was somebody else.

A peel of laughter rang out across the room, and Edward glanced over, nearly groaning out loud when he saw that Tanya Ivanova - who had left his table and only gone as far as the restaurant's bar area - was sitting on her bar stool, her head tossed back in obvious amusement while another of their colleagues sat beside her, his grin lascivious.

Abruptly thirsty, Edward took the tumbler of watery whiskey and Coke and knocked it back in three gulps, wincing as he did.

Trying to ignore the pleasing sound of her laughter, Edward looked back down at the keycard, picking it up and rolling it between his long fingers.

Guilt roiled at the pit of his belly, and he wished like hell he wasn't as tempted as he was.

Again Tanya laughed, and Edward looked over in spite of his best efforts.

How could he not be tempted? He had known Tanya for the four years they'd been attending these bi-annual stockholders meetings. She was smart - both witty and brainy. She was unquestionably one of the most gorgeous women he'd ever laid eyes on - statuesque with strawberry blond hair, killer legs, a flawless body, and a sexy smile.

She was also very married.

Edward understood her offer. There would be no complications. Tomorrow, after the last of the speeches, his own included, he would go home to Chicago and she to her life in New York City - back to her husband whom he would never meet or have to see. There would be no torrid affair, no love letters, no drama if he were to take this key and enter her room that night. They'd always been compatible, enjoying each other's company. What she was offering was a night of pleasure - nothing more.

"Can I get you another, Sir?" the waitress asked, a friendly smile on her face as she picked up his empty tumbler and Tanya's empty glass.

"Yes," Edward said, his voice raw. As she walked away, he closed his eyes.

Behind his eyelids, his grandfather's piercing, green-eyed stare haunted him, disapproval strong in his gaze. Edward didn't even have to try to imagine what Grandfather would have to say about his lust.

It wasn't the right thing to do. No decent man would even contemplate it.

The waitress came back, setting another drink in front of him with a clunk, the ice clinking in accompaniment. Edward opened his eyes, staring down at the dark liquid for only a moment before he gulped it down, too. He screwed his eyes shut, holding his breath as the burn traveled down his throat before settling in a pool of warmth that started at the pit of his stomach and radiated outward.

Sometimes, Edward felt sick to death of being so damn decent.

Even the most pious man was not without sin, he thought petulantly. Wasn't that in the text that Grandfather so passionately revered?

And Edward knew he was a good man, a decent man. Was it so unforgivable to think he deserved a break? Was it so horrible that, for once, he wanted to go to sleep beside someone? That maybe a little physical intimacy would be nice? This was the City of Sin, after all. Whatever happened in Vegas...

Edward scrubbed the back of his neck feeling distinctly woozy. For most men his age, he wagered, two tumblers of whiskey and Coke wasn't enough to get drunk, but Edward knew he was a lightweight. That, too, was his grandfather's influence. He could count the times he'd indulged in a drink on two hands and still have enough fingers left over to keep a solid grip around his …

Well, anyway.

Bitterness crept into Edward's psyche that had nothing to do with the taste the alcohol left on his tongue.

Both of his younger brothers had been introduced to alcohol before their 18th birthdays, in the safety of their own home, under their parents' supervision. Their parents believed in letting their sons test boundaries in a safe environment.

But Edward hadn't been raised by his modern-thinking parents. He'd been raised by his strict, closed-minded grandfather, and his guilt - both at his adulterous thoughts and his indulgence in a couple drinks - was beginning to tear at him with the viciousness of a hungry lion.

Quickly, Edward stood, shoving his folder and his laptop into his bag. He swayed on his feet, but managed to remain upright as he threw down enough money to cover the bill with a generous tip, and headed for the exit. He stopped only at the front desk, mumbling that someone had dropped their keycard, before he ventured out into the Las Vegas night.

Once he was outside, he felt a little better. At least he didn't feel as stifled as he had in the confines of the restaurant. Still, the air around him was heavy with the oppressive heat of the desert. It wasn't dark enough yet to have cooled off.

Edward joined the flow of people walking the strip, his hands deep in his pockets and his laptop bag bouncing haphazardly against his thigh. He glanced up briefly when the crowd drew a collective breath and mentally appreciated the beauty of the waters dancing in front of the Bellagio, but continued on until he got to Treasure Island.

There, he stopped, staring out over the water to the volcano that erupted every 15 minutes. This was much more suited to his mood, he thought darkly. Fire, lava and a rumble like thunder.

He rubbed his eyes again, laughing at himself. He was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. Apparently, he'd be an angry drunk.

For a few minutes he stood still, just staring at the rippling water below the volcano, trying not to think of much of anything which, he discovered quickly, was actually easier than he would have thought thanks to the whiskey in his system.

It took him a long while to separate an odd sound that didn't quite fit in with the happy chatter of the white noise all around him.

Sniffling.

Someone was crying.

Curious and a little unnerved, Edward looked around. The sound was intermittent, so it took his addled mind a few minutes to fit actions to sound.

Not very far from where he leaned against the railing, a woman - a girl, really - sat alone on a bench. It was obvious she was trying not to cry and failing quite thoroughly. Every time she would wipe away her tears they would just start again fresh.

Edward's heart twisted as he looked at her. Her shoulders were hunched inward, her long, pretty brown hair falling like a curtain in front of her face when she bowed her head, giving in to her tears.

Saddened by her sadness, Edward found himself walking - well, if he was being honest, half stumbling - to her side. "Hello," he said, pleased when the word wasn't garbled. "Can I sit down?"

Her head snapped up, her brown eyes wide with surprise and a little fear. She shrank back slightly but bit her lip and nodded, scooting to the far edge of the bench. "I don't own the bench. It's a free country," she murmured, her voice shaky.

She continued to wipe at her eyes, breathing deep to calm herself.

"Are you okay?" he asked and immediately wanted to roll his eyes. What a stupid question. Obviously, this girl wasn't okay.

She answered that she was fine anyway.

"That's not true," he countered softly, folding his hands on his lap to keep from helping her wipe her tears away.

A tinge of annoyance flashed through her eyes. "What's it to you, anyway?"

"Free country," he reminded her gently. "I can be concerned if I want to be."

She seemed to slump further then. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I know I must look like a crazy person, just sitting here crying."

"Lost big at the craps tables, did you?"

At that, she cracked a small smile, but it quickly wavered. "No," she answered unsteadily.

He wasn't sure what else to say then, and she didn't seem to be in a hurry to offer.

Before the silence could get awkward, her stomach growled loudly enough that he could hear it despite the bustle all around them. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, blushing in embarrassment.

"Hey. I'm hungry, too," he lied. "How about you join me for dinner? I could use the company."

She looked at him, surprised and dubious.

Quickly, he held up his hands. "I'm not trying to be a creep. You're hungry. I'm hungry. There's food … and plenty of people... all around us. That's all there is to it."

For a second, it seemed like she was about to refuse, but then her stomach growled again.

"Okay," she said finally.

Her acceptance made him unreasonably happy. "I'm Edward, by the way. Edward Cullen."

"Bella Swan," she responded back, not offering her hand or looking up to see that he'd offered his.

They walked in silence into Treasure Island. He pointed out the nearest restaurant, and she just nodded. By the time they were seated across from one another, she still hadn't said a word.

So Edward was content to watch her, wondering what he was doing with this sad, quiet stranger. The way she held herself made him automatically nervous. It seemed like she was ready to bolt, her movements, even as she sat studying the menu, skittish and on edge. She didn't look at him, but at least she'd stopped crying.

As she looked down at the menu, a deep v appeared between her eyebrows, and she bit down on her lip.

"It's my treat," Edward offered when he realized she was glaring at the prices.

She finally looked up, shaking her head vehemently. "No. Thank you, but no."

"I dragged you here, after all," he reasoned. "It's really the least I can do to thank you for keeping me company."

At first, he was sure she was going to refuse, but her stomach growled insistently and she slumped again, looking so terribly defeated that he had the urge to take it all back. "Fine. Thank you. I appreciate it," she said in a small voice, sounding ashamed.

The waiter came and they ordered. Edward noticed she got the most inexpensive thing on the menu.

"You should let me buy you a drink," he said, not really thinking before he spoke. "You look like you could use a stiff drink."

"I can't drink," she said, her voice no more than a breath.

He was about to ask if she was even old enough when, inexplicably, her lower lip began to tremble, and she leaned forward, her head in her hands.

"I'm pregnant," she admitted, her voice wavering so badly that Edward thought for a long moment he must have misunderstood.

Not quite knowing what else to do, Edward turned to the waiter who looked about as bewildered as he felt. "Can I get a whiskey and coke? For me?"

**~0 ~**

Edward groaned when consciousness came to him.

He felt terrible.

First of all, he was quite sure that a mouse or some other fuzzy creature had died and was decomposing in his mouth.

Secondly, despite the fact his eyes were closed, whatever light was shining on him was still far too bright, sending needle sharp pain stabbing through his head.

Thirdly... what in the name of all that was holy was that noise?

It took him a minute to remember how to open his eyes, and when he did, it took him another minute to comprehend that he wasn't dreaming.

The night before, he'd fervently wished that he wouldn't have to return alone to his hotel room to spend another long, lonely night.

Wish granted - he was most definitely not alone.

Sitting on the sofa across the room, her legs folded up to her chin, was the tearful stranger he'd met last night. What was her name? Bella.

She was crying again.

Edward wracked his brain, horrified, but for the life of him he could not remember how he ended up with this sad, scared,  _pregnant_ stranger in his hotel room.

* * *

**A/N: And so it begins.**

**Thank you, of course, to Ginny W... who is spoiled. And lovely. Also much love to barburella and jfka06.**

**This fic won't begin to update steadily until Do The Right Thing is done... which will be within the next two weeks. Until then... thoughts? Guesses? Hopes? Dreams?**

**Who's the father of Bella's baby?**


	2. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wasn't going to post this yet, but I was in the theater and my phone kept BUZZING.
> 
> So uh... HI everyone. O.O

 

"We're married."

Edward blinked, beginning to wonder if he'd done some hardcore drug the night before and he just didn't remember. "Can you... say that again?" His voice was raw with sleep and a mother of a hangover.

Wordlessly, Bella lifted her left hand. Sure enough, there was a cheesy looking gold band on her ring finger. Bewildered, Edward mimicked her movement and found a matching band on his finger. "Huh," he chuffed, staring at the thing dumbly.

As he looked up, the girl lowered her head to her knees, her breath hitching in that way that told him she was about to start crying again. "Yeah. I'd cry if I woke up married to me, too," he thought out loud. Apparently, his filter was hiding from the throb, throb, throbbing of his head.

"It's not that," she said, raising her head. "I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault."

Edward decided that the first order of business, before he could consider this whole Holy Matrimony thing, was to figure out if he could sit up. He tried. The room only spun lackadaisically. "It takes two to tango," he pointed out almost conversationally, digging his fists into his eyes. A thought occurred to him and he glanced at the side of the bed he wasn't occupying. It was rumpled. "Did we?" he asked, vaguely horrified. "Tango, I mean..."

"Oh! Oh, no. No. You..." She flushed furiously, blowing out a breath in a huff before she tried again. "Last night, you held me," she admitted shyly. "It was so sweet." Her small smile fell almost as soon as it appeared. "Actually, you've just been so nice to me." She took a shuddering breath. "And I took advantage of that real quick, didn't I..."

"Maybe it would be best if you filled in the blanks," Edward suggested mildly. "I remember you said you were pregnant."

She bit her lip and nodded. "That's... I... Yes." She sniffled. "I told you my sob story." Her smile was wane but seemed genuine. "And then, you offered to marry me, and even though I knew you were drunk... I knew better, I still said yes."

Edward would have blushed if he wasn't so confused and out of sorts. It sounded very foolish, on his part as well as hers.

"Look," she said, looking him in the eye with a sincere expression. "There's no excuse for what I've done. None. I was... I am very, very scared right now. When you found me last night, I'd just figured out about..." she trailed off, gesturing at her midsection. "I really don't know what I'm going to do," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Last night, you offered me a solution, and I let myself believe you were the answer to all my problems. It was stupid and selfish. I am really, really sorry."

Before he could even think of responding, she rushed on. "I won't... I'm not going to give you any trouble. We can have this marriage annulled, and you can forget you ever knew me."

"Wait," he said, holding up a hand. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think around the dull thud of his heartbeat hammering away in his brain. Breathing deeply, he tried to figure out just what he was supposed to do here. "Let's just think about this a moment," he muttered, more stalling than anything else.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" she asked, sounding desperate and confused. "I would be mad at me."

He chuckled, standing and crossing the room to where the little mini-fridge was. He opened the door, taking out a bottle of water and drinking the whole thing without breathing. "Being angry at a crying pregnant woman seems... rude." He leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "Besides that, I can see you're in trouble. I think I can understand that."

She ducked her head, the look on her face betraying her shame.

"Do you have family?" he asked softly.

She hesitated a moment before she answered. "My mother."

"Is it that you need help getting home?" he guessed. Perhaps she was a runaway who didn't know how to make her way back.

Bella continued staring down at her toes. "I can't go home," she murmured softly, her voice so soft he almost thought he'd imagined it.

Edward turned her words over and over in his head. Bending, he retrieved two more water bottles from the squat little fridge and walked to her. Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, he proffered her the water, taking in the furtive way she looked between him and the bottle before she took it.

"If you can't go home," he began slowly, thinking as he spoke, "then you're running from something." He glanced down at her still flat stomach. "Or someone."

Quickly, she looked away, biting her lip. He could tell she was trying not to start crying again. He waited, and after a moment, she finally nodded.

"It's the baby's father, isn't it?" he guessed again, putting together the context clues she'd given.

Her shoulders trembled and she slumped forward. "Yes," she whispered.

Acting on instinct, he reached across the space, wanting to comfort her. She recoiled, her eyes startled at his movement, and wrapped her hands around her arms, looking paranoid and self conscious. She shivered in the chill of the room - the air conditioner was turned on high to beat the intimidating summer heat.

Dropping his hand back to his side, Edward stood again, taking the comforter from the bed and wrapping it around her shoulders before he returned to his end of the sofa. "If you tell me, I promise I'll listen, and I promise I'll do what I can to help." If nothing else, he had a responsibility to this woman - his improbable wife.

Edward had always been a patient man, and though he was desperate to know this particular woman's story, he didn't press her. He waited while she took deep, measured breaths. Several times, she opened her mouth as if she'd found the words she was searching for, only to close it again, her thoughts still tangled.

"I was stupid," she said in a tiny voice. "He - the baby's father - he's always been," she looked up, searching for the right words, "weird about me. Possessive. He's always talked like I should be his, but not in a normal way - like he wanted to be together. More like I should belong to him, like he wanted to own me."

She sniffled again, taking a moment to calm herself before she continued. "I was never interested. In all the time we knew each other, when he brought it up, I would say no. No, no, no. Until one day, I don't know... It was six weeks ago. I was sad and lonely. He was being so understanding and comforting - for once, I thought it might make me feel better if I said yes."

Edward found himself nodding, remembering the night before.

"So I did," she said on a breath.

She put her hands over her eyes, her lips crumpling and chin trembling. She gasped once, twice before she calmed again.

"Then what?" Edward asked quietly, his tone gentle.

"He got really scary," she murmured, wiping away a stray tear. "I told him. I told him before we did anything that it didn't mean I wanted to be with him. I told him, and he said that he understood."

She was babbling, and Edward was alarmed at the way blood drained from her face. Her body was visibly trembling. He scooted over the cushion in between them and put his arms around her. This time, she turned, burying her head against his chest, letting him hold her as she shook.

_**~1 Week Before~** _

The situation was a hundred times worse because his friend was there.

How a cop could be such good buddies with an ex-con, Bella could never figure out. The men fed off each other though, and more than anything, Bella hated this side of the man who she considered a friend. Maybe he could be a pain in the ass, but he had a good heart.

"You promised me you weren't going to do this," she gritted out between clenched teeth. "I don't know why you even had to tell him."

"I don't know why you had to tell him," James mimicked in an obnoxiously high pitched voice.

Bella slammed her palm down on the table between them. "Shut up." She shook her head. "I don't understand why you're insisting on making it awkward. You knew it was a one time thing. If you can't put it behind you, then I'm not going to want to come over anymore."

"Oh, she wants it from behind, Alec," James snickered to his friend.

Alec rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you're acting so coy. We all know you liked it."

"Ugh." Bella pushed away from the table, disgusted. "I'm so out of here. Maybe we can talk when you stop being a total pig."

She turned away, fishing through her bag for her keys, only to be spun back a second later, his grip rough on her arm.

"You don't get to walk away from me, Bella. Not anymore." His breath, as he pulled her up against him, reeked of alcohol, and Bella wrinkled her nose.

"Like hell!" she hissed, trying to yank her arm back. "Let go of me! Right now."

It all happened in a blur then. As she struggled, they kept her restrained between them.

"This is what happens when you let your woman step out of line, when you let her think she's the boss."

"Get your hands off me!" she demanded only a second before a hand clamped over her mouth in a punishing grip. She screamed against his palm, thrashing her head, trying to loosen his hold.

"You think this is cute? Look at you! You're like a g'damn crazy person."

It felt so much like her brain was broken. This couldn't be happening. He was her friend; he was a cop! And his buddy wasn't a violent criminal, as far as she'd understood.

But it was. Her arms were being yanked behind her back, the cold steel of a set of handcuffs locking into place with a resounding snick.

"You're hurting me," she tried, thinking she could get them to snap out of whatever testosterone induced madness this was. They probably thought they were being funny. "Please, stop. You're really scaring me."

She was on her knees, her arms locked behind her back like she was a common criminal waiting to be hauled away. They both towered over her, making her feel all the smaller.

"Are you going to cut with this bullshit act? I'm sick of it, Bella. We're right together. We both know it." He'd grabbed her by the arm, hauling her to her feet. "You're mine, do you understand that? I'm not going to put up with your idiotic games anymore."

When she looked into his eyes, she could see that he believed what he was saying. "You're fucking insane," she whispered incredulously.

His eyes hardened. When he began to drag her deeper into the house, Bella resumed her struggling, now frightened to death that they were going to really hurt her.

"God, shut the fuck up," James growled. He'd found a roll of duct tape, and the ripping sound as he tore a piece off seemed horribly ominous. He slapped the strip over her mouth, effectively muffling her screams. Alec shoved her down onto the floor of the closet.

She was both terribly frightened and outrageously furious as she stared up at both of them, tugging uselessly at her bonds.

"You calm down. Calm down, and then maybe we can talk like rational people."

The door slammed, and they left her alone in the dark.

_**~Now~** _

By the time she was done with her story, Bella had pulled in on herself, drawing her legs up to her chest. Her tone was thin and robotic, her eyes wide and staring sightlessly.

Edward couldn't remember when he'd been more furious.

"When he came back," she continued, her tone devoid of life, "he was alone. He asked me if I was sorry. I pretended so he would uncuff me. He started to kiss me..." her voice shook, and Edward tightened his arms around her. "I kneed him in the groin, and I ran."

"Good," he spat vehemently. "Believe me, I'd have done a lot worse, if I could."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah," she said, laying her head on her knees and looking at him. "I would have, too, but I was sure he would hurt me if he had the chance, so I ran."

Quickly, Edward nodded. "No, that was absolutely the right thing." He furrowed his eyebrows. "But I still don't understand. Why didn't you go to the police?"

Her laugh was raw and filled with pain. "He  _is_ the police." She shook her head. "My father was the Chief-of-Police." Her mouth worked, like she was trying to formulate a word but couldn't. "H-he was my father's protegee," she finally murmured.

Edward's heart ached when he realized she couldn't even say his name. It was no wonder. He'd been a friend and betrayed her in the worst way after she'd shared her body with him. Edward could only imagine how sickening it felt.

"The town I'm from is very small," Bella continued in a sad, defeated tone. "It's an everyone knows everyone kind of place, and he's the town hero. See, about a year ago, there was a bus that overturned. It was a bad situation; a lot of kids were injured, but he and my dad saved them." She dropped her head. "And he tried to save my dad when the bus..."

She closed her eyes tightly, two tears squeezing past her eyelids. Edward's heart broke for the girl, filling in blanks. He wondered if it was the anniversary of her father's death that made her sad enough to give in to the comfort the man had offered.

"Anyway," she continued shakily. "Everyone loves him. I can't tell you how many people told me I was crazy for not wanting to be with him." She sniffled, and laughed again, the sound wry. "My mother absolutely adores him. Of course. Why wouldn't she?" Bella said bitterly. "He can be very charming when he wants to be. Sometimes, he even made me believe I was crazy for seeing him as so... persistent and annoying, I guess. Maybe that's why I kept forgiving him for his... overeagerness. He has a way of blinding people to the truth."

She shook her head, looking down. "They wouldn't believe me. No one would." She looked up, her eyes pleading for his understanding. "You see? I can't go back. He's crazy, his friend is crazy, and no one knows it. I know he'll hurt me, I saw it in his eyes, and now there's a baby..." Her voice cracked, and she buried her head against her knees, rocking back and forth.

For a long minute, Edward didn't speak, but rubbed his hand in soothing circles around her back, his thoughts tangled and chaotic. His heart was breaking for this girl. Maybe he didn't know her, but he couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be run out of her home, away from everything familiar, alone and terrified not only for herself but for the innocent life she carried.

It was no wonder a proposal from a drunk, kind stranger had seemed like a blessing in the darkest point of the night.

"Come with me," he said spontaneously, not thinking about the offer before he spoke.

She rolled her head, looking at him with one bloodshot eye. "What?"

This time, he thought about the words before he spoke, checking to make sure he meant what he said. He did. "Come home with me," he repeated, clarifying.

She scoffed and sniffed. "Like I said, you're very sweet, but I'm not your responsibility. You don't have to worry about me."

He shook his head before she was done speaking. "I won't send you off with nothing, with nowhere to go. You are my wife, after all," he pointed out, infusing his voice with as much sincerity as he could so she would know he wasn't teasing. "Come home with me, and I can help you."

Under his palm, her back went rigid, her breath sharpening to a staccato rhythm. Replaying his words in his head, Edward realized how they must have sounded to a woman who had just told him a story of another man who believed he owned her. "No. Bella," he stumbled. "Not... There's no pressure, okay? I don't mean to make it sound like you'd be under any obligation to me. What I'm offering you is a home and steadiness while you figure out what you're going to do."

Bella stared at him, blinking as if in disbelief. "You don't need to do that," she said, her tone incredulous.

"It's only what any decent person would do," he theorized.

She gave a short bark of laughter, her eyes widening in surprised amusement. "No. That is definitely not true." Again she stared, searching his eyes. "You're insane. You don't even know me."

"Well, there's time for that," he reasoned. Seeing she was about to protest again, he continued quickly. "I know we don't really know each other, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm involved now. Say I were to send you packing. What then? Am I to wonder the rest of my life what became of you and your child?"

"You could forget about me." she suggested bluntly. "That would be easiest."

Now it was him who laughed. "Better or worse, I married you. I'm not going to forget about you, especially not now. How could I live with myself if I just tossed you aside?"

Realizing he was serious, Bella stood up, wrapping the comforter tighter around her. "This is... just... I don't... No."

He followed her with his eyes as she paced the room. "I'm not crazy, Bella," he assured softly. "I'm not trying to tell you that we're going to live happily ever after, or that we belong together, or anything like that. You said yourself you have nowhere to go, right?"

She stopped short and glanced at him warily.

"I have a big house where I live alone. You may have your choice of rooms - far away from mine, if that's what you want." He paused, tapping his chin. "But I think we should stay married, if only because my insurance is fantastic. You would have the best prenatal care."

Groaning, Bella sat on the opposite end of the couch. "You  _are_ crazy," she muttered.

"Perhaps," he allowed. "But I'm also serious."

She looked lost as she sat there, her lower lip caught between her teeth.

"Look," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I really need to get up, get dressed. I have a presentation to give today. Why don't you stay here, order something from room service, and think about my offer?"

"You should think about your offer, too," she returned, eyeing him speculatively.

He smiled. "Well, yes. That seems only fair." Tentatively, he reached across the couch and squeezed her hand. "So you'll stay, at least until I get back from my meetings?"

She seemed painfully uncertain, but took a deep breath. Flipping her hand, she squeezed his back briefly in return. "Yes, I'll stay until then."

* * *

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to my enabler...I MEAN... beta GinnyW, and jfka06 and barburella
> 
> This time I mean it. No more until DTRT is done... srsly. Only 1 preggo Bella fic at a time, dammit.
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> So... what are we thinking now?


	3. Then There Was Your

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello out there. All my love and kisses. *mwah*

 

For the most part, Bella hadn't moved from the center of the ginormous bed.

Almost as soon as Edward left, she'd crawled back under the covers and fallen into a deep sleep. It felt like it had been years rather than days since the last time she slept soundly.

When she woke up, Bella felt a lot calmer than she had in the week since she'd run from the person that should have been her friend.

There was a niggling part of her that thought she was being naive and ridiculous. How could she possibly feel so sedate and relieved? She had given dominion of herself over to another man, a man who, like her ex-friend, seemed kind and charming on the outside. But hadn't she seen enough of the world to understand that people didn't act without thought of gain?

What could this man possibly have to gain by staying married to her?

The question should have sent chills down her spine - where there was a marriage, sex was a foregone conclusion after all - but she felt oddly... safe in Edward's presence.

Sitting up, feeling much better after her impromptu nap, Bella glanced around the room.

It was a really big room.

It had not escaped Bella's notice that Edward had taken not one but three bottles of water from the courtesy fridge without as much as a second of hesitation.

There was no greater indicator of wealth than the ability to pay six dollars per bottle for water without flinching.

Maybe it was a sign that she was truly unhinged that the proof of his obvious wealth bothered her more than anything.

Bella simply hadn't been raised to be comfortable with the idea of being a charity case. Already she was adding up figures in her head, trying to keep track of what she owed. Definitely, the impromptu wedding ceremony was all her. He'd footed the bill the night before - she had practically nothing to her name - so she was already indebted to the tune of $300.

It would have been closer to $700 if Edward had had his way that night, but she'd managed to convince him she didn't want the 36 posed pictures and they had no bridesmaids to give bouquets to.

Bella couldn't help the smile that quirked at her lips, remembering how endearing he'd been. In just those few, drunken hours, he had tried so hard to make her happy.

He would make a good husband to someone someday – someone deserving.

As she showered and dressed, Bella took the time to do what she'd promised, thinking seriously about Edward's proposal - his second in less than twelve hours.

At least this one was made while he was sober.

Scared out of her mind, Bella had hit the road the second she got away from the house where she'd been held captive. She'd driven fast, not stopping until she absolutely needed gas.

Since then, having to buy a few changes of clothes, meals, and hotel rooms, Bella was very nearly out of what little cash she'd had to begin with.

The day before had been the first time in a week she stopped long enough to breathe and think. No matter how she tried to think about it, she couldn't figure a scenario where it was safe to return home – not to Forks, where he had so much power and she so little. That was a difficult thought to wrap her head around. Her mind tried desperately to think of a reason why he would have acted the way he had, something that would have explained it rationally in a way that she could believe she'd overreacted in running. But, remembering the ferocious look in his eyes – that he'd absolutely believed his words – Bella knew her original instinct to run had been the correct one.

One thought had led to another and, as she lamented ever giving into him – giving him ownership of her body even briefly – a wave of nausea sent a stray thought to shatter her reality for the second time in a week.

She couldn't deny that she needed a plan. She couldn't exist in this limbo – running forever.

That morning, she'd been entirely exhausted by the overwhelming guilt she felt, having taken advantage of Edward's kindness. She would have given him almost anything he asked for to make up for what she had done. Telling her story was the least she could do, though she'd been absolutely positive he'd see her as the crazy one.

One way or another, Bella would have to rely on someone to help her out. She'd been tossing around the idea that she could find a shelter. There had to be someplace where she could find a little help until she found a job, and she knew that she could get prenatal care through the state.

Still, now that Edward had planted a seed - in the harsh light of the morning, when he wasn't drunk off his ass - it was impossible for Bella to ignore. It was a tempting thought - being able to turn to someone who was real rather than the faceless system. He'd made it clear that at the very least, he'd believed her story. He was an ally, a friendly face, and running scared as she was, Bella was desperate for someone to trust.

When he came back to the room, Bella was sitting cross legged on the bed, pulled out of quiet contemplation by the sound of his keycard sliding into the door.

For a long, heavy moment, they merely looked at each other. His expression mirrored her emotions, like he was shocked to see living, breathing proof that everything that had happened since last night was real.

"I half expected to find you'd run off," Edward said softly, closing the door and walking slowly to the bed. He sat down, his eyes steady on her.

"I thought about it," she admitted.

"What else did you think about?" he asked, his voice unassuming.

"Well," she hedged. This was such an awkward conversation. "I was just curious. If you're in a suite, you obviously don't live here, right?"

He blinked at her and then laughed. "Of course. No, I don't live here. I live in Chicago."

Bella blew out a long breath, thinking about that. It had occurred to her that if he was just going to flit her away to a town as small as Forks, she might never get on her feet. She needed resources - job opportunities, that kind of thing.

Her heart started to race. She felt inexplicably shy about what she was about to say. "In that case, I was thinking that, unless you've reconsidered, I would like to take you up on your offer. But I want to pay you back," she said this last sentence quickly, tripping over her words. "I'll find a way to pay you back for all of it. Everything."

He raised an eyebrow, looking as though he was about to dismiss the need to repay him, but he must have seen something in her face and thought better of it. "If you prefer," he said easily.

Bella stared at him, feeling strangely calm about having just agreed to follow a near complete stranger back home. "You're sure this is okay?" she asked, wondering if she was asking him or herself.

"Mmhmm," he hummed affirmatively. The answer seemed oddly evasive, but his smile a moment later was genuine. "Good then. That's settled." He paused, looking almost as uncertain as she felt, and rubbed the back of his neck. "How about dinner?" he offered. "Room service? Or we can go out, if you'd like."

"No," she said quickly, remembering the prices at the restaurant the night before. She thought about what little cash was in her wallet. "Can we order a pizza, maybe?" she asked, trying to drum up some enthusiasm. Pizza didn't sound great, but honestly, she was queasy anyway.

Edward studied her intently, and Bella reflected that there was an intensity about his deep green eyes. "Are you asking for pizza because that's what you want or because it's cheaper?"

Bella grimaced, knowing she was caught, and didn't answer.

"Did you eat lunch, Bella?" he asked gently.

"Yes," she replied, a touch defensive. He'd told her to order room service, but she'd fished a packet of trail mix from the vending machine instead.

He tapped his chin, thinking. "Can you cook?"

"Yes," she answered, perplexed as to why that mattered.

"Well, I can't," he said with a wide grin. "I burn water. What say I pay for room service now, and when we get home," he paused, as if gauging her reaction to that word, "you can cook me something. I really do love home cooking. Fair?"

"With food you buy?" Bella asked, dissatisfied.

He pursed his lips, looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Honestly, Bella, I'm doing my best not to salivate at the idea as it is," he deflected.

She narrowed her eyes before she rolled them and lay back on the bed. "Fine. You win. Again."

~0~

It seemed very strange to Edward, having the getting to know you conversation after he was already married and had agreed to take this woman back home with him.

After he'd made sure she ordered something a little more substantial than salad, he'd propped his feet up on the couch, facing her where she lay on the bed, and they talked.

Bella's mother, he found out, felt like she had been trapped in the tiny town of Forks and spent many of her days as a socially acceptable drug addict - popping Xanex when she wasn't teaching at Forks Elementary... and sometimes when she was. That was one of the reasons she favored her husband's protégé's attention to Bella so much. Though he hadn't made the move yet, he was constantly talking about getting out of that place, being bigger than he was.

Privately, Edward figured that the reason the 'big man on campus' didn't move on was because in the town of Forks, he was king. Out in the big, bad world, he would be less than nothing, just like everyone else.

"Can you drink?" Edward wondered out loud, voicing a question that had his stomach churning a little bit. Sometimes, when he looked at her, he thought she seemed old beyond her years. The wary way she held herself, somewhat stooped, made her look like she was 35, but when she was wide eyed and frightened, she'd looked closer to 16.

Bella raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her belly.

He smiled. "I mean legally," he clarified.

"Oh," she said softly, beginning to blush. "Um. No, but almost. I'll be 21 in September."

"Hmmm," Edward hummed in acknowledgment, turning that information over in his head. She was younger even than his little brothers, and that was a somewhat frightening thought. He had a strange urge to draw her into the protective circle of his arms, keeping her sheltered from a world that had already put her through too much. It was an odd notion for Edward, whose typical world view his brother Emmett had once summed up with: life's hard, get a helmet.

"You think I'm an idiot, don't you?" Bella asked, misreading his apprehensive expression.

"No," he replied, his voice firm. "Not at all."

She chuffed. "I am stupid. And irresponsible. Look at me! I knew better than to ever let... h-him... and not only did I let him touch me, but..." She trailed off, her hand brushing absently over her midsection. "I'm an idiot."

"Bella, stop," he said gently. "In my experience, and believe me when I say I have plenty of experience in these things, people can preach all they want, but not a single person I've known has lived a life free of mistakes. 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone,'" he reminded. "And besides, what can I say? If it weren't for the fact those kinds of accidents happen, I wouldn't even be alive today."

That got her attention, and she looked up at him with curious eyes, though trepidation lingered on her features.

Edward's lips quirked. He didn't relish telling her this particular tale because it meant he would have to acknowledge his grandfather's role in his life.

Suffice to say, Grandfather Cullen was not going to be pleased when he found out Edward had married on a whim in Vegas. Already, Edward could hear the Senior Cullen's voice raising, filling the space of the huge mansion he lived in with anger and disappointment. Edward had profaned the holy sanctity of marriage. There would be hell to pay.

Shaking that thought off - he'd made his decision and he wasn't going to back out simply because he was a 32 year old man still afraid of his grandfather - Edward told Bella about his family.

Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, had been junior high school sweethearts. Sometimes, Edward hypothesized that they'd fallen in love on the kindergarten playground when Esme had stomped on a spider that had tiny Carlisle screeching, about to wet his pants.

But, as children playing at love were wont to do, they got quite a bit ahead of themselves and wound up pregnant with him when they were both only fifteen years old.

Edward Cullen the First, Edward's grandfather, was livid.

"To make a long story very short, my grandfather insisted that he be the one to raise me," Edward said tightly. He was leaving out a lot of the story, but it was nothing she needed to know. In actuality, Edward the First had spent most of the pregnancy convincing Carlisle and Esme that they weren't fit, could never be the parents their baby deserved. He'd manipulated them, in his overbearing way, into thinking that the only solution - the only way baby Edward would make it at all - was to let his grandfather raise him.

"He's going to hate me," Bella muttered.

Edward grimaced because that, very likely, was the exact truth. But though he was nervous about the prospect, anger churned in his veins at the thought of anyone speaking about Bella harshly. He sat up, his expression intent. "I'm not scared of what he thinks," he lied. "I'm a grown man, and I'm making choices that are right for me."

Blowing out a breath, he made an effort to put on a more lighthearted smile. "Besides, Grandfather is only one member of my family. My parents and my brothers are very nice."

"You have brothers?" Bella asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Two younger brothers," Edward confirmed. "Emmett and Jasper."

"From your mother or your father?"

It was an easy assumption to make. Not many high school relationships lasted, particularly after a baby. "Both, actually. My parents stayed together. They've been married for 23 years now, in fact."

Bella's eyes went wide. "That's... Wow." Her expression was sympathetic when she looked on him. "Is that hard? I mean, that your brothers were raised by your parents when you weren't?"

"Sometimes," Edward admitted quietly. In so many ways, though his family was very loving, he often felt like the odd man out.

She looked away, biting her lip again. "No, I think you're being too understanding. Your family is going to hate me. All of them." Folding her arms on the bed, she rested her head, staring up at nothing. "Honestly, I still don't understand why you're being so nice about this. I took advantage of your kindness when you were vulnerable, and now you seem to think that makes you responsible when you're not. Maybe it makes sense to you, but it won't make sense to them. They'll see the truth: it's not right, what I did, no matter my reasons. I mean, even if they can get past the fact I married you when I was stone cold sober and you were obviously drunk, I'm still pregnant with another man's baby."

She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Edward pursed his lips feeling frustratingly silly and abashed about what he was about to say. "Well, as you requested, I did a lot of thinking today," he began, speaking slowly and carefully. "I think... What would you say if I thought it was best not to let on to anyone else that we're so... new to each other?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked tiredly.

"Hear me out," he entreated. "I'm here twice a year on business. I've never had a steady girlfriend. Maybe you and I had a … seasonal romance, if you will. I was in San Diego for business about six weeks ago. If you drove to visit me, the timeline fits," he said, glancing down significantly at her stomach.

She gaped at him. "You would... I mean... You're being crazy again."

Edward shook his head. "What is between you and I is only our business. No one else has to know what goes on behind closed doors. Everything I said before still stands. We'll sleep in different rooms... we'll know that we aren't married anywhere but on paper. No one has to know the baby isn't mine until you're ready to move on."

Bella sat up, running her hands restlessly through her hair. "This is nuts," she said again. "I'm twenty years old. If we had a romance before, that means you probably met me when I was a teenager. You want to paint yourself as that skeevy?"

"It happens," Edward said with a grimace. He made a face at her, attempting to inject some humor in the conversation. "And am I really so old the idea is disgusting?"

She blushed scarlet. "That's not what I meant! You're not old, and I know it happens, I just... Edward, your family shouldn't think less of you because you're helping me. That would kill me."

"I'm not denying that they'll be opinionated, but for the most part, they're understanding people," he soothed. "If I didn't honestly think things would be easier this way, I wouldn't suggest it."

"Easier for whom?" she asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

"For both of us." His answer was honest. While they might have the opinion he was an idiot for getting a girl in trouble and marrying her so quickly, his family would understand the idea that he was honor bound. They were used to that about him. For Bella, well... He was quite sure that she didn't want many people's opinions about what she was running from.

"Either way," he began again, interrupting the heavy silence, "when the baby is born, if that's what you want, I'd like you to put my name on the birth certificate. That way, the father won't have any easy legal right to either of you."

Bella ducked her head, pressing the back of her hand against her lips. For a minute, it seemed like she would cry again, but she got control of herself, looking at him before she spoke. "Last night... that was exactly what made me say yes," she said in a whisper. "If it was just me, I don't think it would have happened at all, but when you proposed, all I could think was that if I was married to you, the baby would be yours and not his." She chuffed. "I would much rather this baby belong to a complete stranger than that asshole."

She let that hang between them for a minute before she spoke again, her voice wavering. "I still don't understand why you're doing this. You're giving me so much, and I can't offer you anything."

Standing, Edward crossed the room and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Mostly, I'm doing this because I can. My grandfather... he taught me a great many intolerant things, but one lesson I appreciate is the idea of 'noblesse oblige'. Essentially, to he who much is given, much is obligated."

Carefully, gauging whether his touch was unwelcome, he reached out, smoothing a lock of her hair back away from her face. "I don't believe either of us intended to cross paths, but we did. Perhaps our, er, method is a little unorthodox, but I still believe that after hearing your story, no decent person could just walk away."

For a long moment, she studied him carefully. Edward could see the wheels turning in her head, thinking things over.

When she spoke, though, he couldn't have guessed what was about to come out of her mouth. "You strike me as the type to have a lawyer on retainer. Do you?"

"Er... yes," he stumbled. This woman was unbelievably unpredictable.

"I want you to have him draw up a contract, a pre... " She frowned. "Well, I guess a post-nup." Her eyebrows furrowed. "Is that a thing?"

"Um, yes it is," Edward confirmed. Last year, one of his cousin Felix's business partners had insisted a post-nup be drawn up before he started another branch of their business. Edward couldn't blame the man. Felix's money-grubbing whore of a wife, Jane, was not to be trusted.

Bella nodded, looking satisfied. "Have your lawyer put it in writing. When we d-divorce, I want it very clear that I can't touch your money, your house, nothing."

Edward opened his mouth to protest - the implication that he didn't trust her seemed so rude - but quickly closed it again. He wasn't naive to the world. In watching the goings on in his family business, he knew well enough how husbands and wives could use the institution of marriage to their own gain. It was a smart suggestion, truth be told. Perhaps it was less than romantic, but Edward had considerable assets to protect.

And besides, as they'd discussed, their marriage wasn't about romance at all, but convenience.

He sighed. "If that would make you more comfortable," he allowed finally.

"It would."

"Fine, then that's settled." He sat back wondering if it should feel odd or bad that he'd just negotiated a marriage like a business proposal.

He crossed the room, sitting at the little table and pulling his laptop out of his bag.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously, sitting at the table across from him.

He offered her a smile over the laptop screen. "It seems I need to add another ticket for the flight home."

She blushed and then made a face. "Oh, crap."

"What is it?"

"What am I going to do with my truck?" She tapped her lips. "I should sell it, but would I be able to sell it by tomorrow?"

"Is that what you want? You know, we could just as easily road trip back, if you'd prefer," he offered.

"No," Bella said, shaking her head. "If I can sell it, maybe I could get just enough to pay you back for the wedding."

"Bella -"

"No," she interrupted him. "That is 100 percent my responsibility. It was my fault."

"I was the one who proposed," he countered.

"Yeah, but you were being all noble."

Edward eyed her, laughing when she smiled. She was teasing him.

Her smile fell almost as soon as it appeared, and she seemed pensive. "Maybe I can go tonight. There's got to be a dealership that will take it for $300."

"We'll go," he corrected. He reached across the table, brushing her hand to get her to look up at him. "I know this is a lot. Are you sure you have nowhere? You know I'd help you get wherever you need."

She couldn't hide the lost, overwhelmed look in her eyes before she glanced downward. "There's no one."

He tapped on her hand until she looked at him again. "There's me now."

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just want to take a moment to say I'm overwhelmed by the response to this story so far. I am usually good about review replies - not perfect, but good - but have recently bitten off a bit more than I can chew, so let me take the time to say now... you all amaze me. Thank you so much for your response.  
> Thank you also to barburella, jadedandboring, jfka06, and Ginny W. Mwah.  
> Chicago next chapter! Who shall we meet first?


	4. Stranger In A Strange Land

Emmett Cullen had the loudest laugh Bella had ever heard.

It was a boisterous sound, making her equal parts unnerved and amused. It was impossible not to find the sight of the large man - and he was a frighteningly large man - bent over in laughter a little bit funny.

He laughed so hard, he fell right on his ass.

Edward sighed, looking disgruntled. "It's not that funny, Emmett."

That only seemed to make Edward's eldest little brother laugh all the harder. "I'm sorry," he managed between gasps, looking at Bella. He sat up straight, wiping away tears. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just-" he dragged in a breath, "-if you knew Edward. Well, I guess you do know Edward."

Shaking his head, Edward turned toward Bella. "I'm sorry for him. Truly."

"Ah, come on," Jasper interjected. Though he was not as broad as Emmett, he was, if anything, more unnerving. There was just something about his cool stare, the way he looked at her, that made Bella feel as though she was being appraised. "You can't blame Emmett for finding it funny. You hear of people going to Vegas and getting married out of the blue but I've never actually seen it happen. And to you?" He eyed Bella speculatively, and it seemed to her that he was wondering exactly what had brought his brother to that point.

Emmett grinned hugely, putting his hands on Bella's shoulders. "Please, please, please tell me you're a Vegas showgirl or something like that. You would make my entire life."

Bella cringed a little under the big man's touch, a bit intimidated by his large presence in her bubble space. "Sorry to disappoint, but no."

"Would you get away from her?" Edward grumbled, grabbing his brother's shoulder and hauling him backward.

"Sorry," Emmett chuckled, holding his hands up in a peacemaking gesture. "I forgot that Edward has trouble sharing. Only child syndrome, right?"

Shaking his head, Edward just rolled his eyes.

Bella had had exactly enough time to gawk at the ridiculously huge mansion, realizing that not only was Edward well to do, but he must have been outrageously wealthy, when the doorbell rang. Apparently, Edward's little brothers - in true bratty little brother fashion - had decided to ignore his request that they cancel the guys night out they had scheduled.

"See, I expected this guy was just blowing us off, again. At least he had the courtesy to bring entertainment."

Edward narrowed his eyes at his little brother. "That's enough. I would really appreciate it if you could stop being so damn condescending right now."

"Ah, would you come off it?" Jasper interjected. "You want us to take you and your decisions seriously, you don't marry some random girl in Vegas with Elvis as a witness. Give me a break." He shook his head. "This is going to kill Mom, first of all."

At that, Edward grimaced, his expression guilty. "Disappoint, I think is the better word," he corrected, obviously making an effort to calm his reaction. "She may be disappointed that she didn't get to plan a reception, but she's busy with Emmett and Rosalie's wedding anyway."

Emmett grunted a laugh, a little of the humor fading from his features. "Yeah, but you know you're different. She's been waiting for your wedding since forever." He shook his head, smacking Edward none too gently on the shoulder. "You just had to slide in before me, huh big brother?"

Wrapping her arms around her midsection, Bella did her best to hide how uncomfortable she felt in the awkward atmosphere. She almost wanted to scream at Edward, 'I told you so'.

Why had she ever thought this could work out? They didn't even know she was pregnant yet.

"So how does this work? Just how much alcohol was involved?" Jasper asked, looking between the two of them.

Bella felt lightheaded and had to sit down quickly to avoid falling. Looking concerned, Edward stepped to her side, rubbing her shoulder. She looked at him, and for one moment, she absolutely intended to let the truth be known. She'd done this to him; it was no one else's fault. She couldn't let him take any more of his brothers' derision and incredulity.

Before she could say a word, though, Edward spoke.

The lie he'd suggested - that they'd been lovers off and on when he was in Vegas for business, flowed so easily, Bella thought she should have been unnerved. He told the story with such sincerity she almost believed it herself.

"Holy fuck," Jasper muttered, sitting back in his chair. "Seriously? I mean really? I guess I shouldn't be so shocked - it's always the holier than thou mother fuckers that do the worst shit - but seriously, Edward?"

"Holier than..." Edward shook his head. "I don't think I'm better than anyone, firstly, but just what are you trying to say?"

"She's a kid!" Jasper spat, gesturing at Bella.

"Excuse me," Bella interjected, annoyance loosening her caught tongue. "I'm right here, and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

The youngest Cullen brother looked somewhat contrite as he turned to her. "I'm sorry, hon, but this is all kinds of fucked. Do you have any idea the lecture this guy gave Emmett when he proposed to Rosalie? He was all about the sanctity of marriage and not entering into a union so lightly, and then this?" Jasper chuffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm sure your union is blessed."

"I wasn't trying to be judgemental. Emmett and Rosalie are a fantastic couple. They're just so young, I-"

"This girl is twenty years old!" Jasper interrupted.

"Again, this girl is right here," Bella repeated.

"Look, I realize you have your doubts, and I understand that," Edward said, his voice tense. "But please, both of you, Bella's done nothing to earn your disrespect."

"You see this... Bella here twice, maybe three times a year. She shows up pregnant and you - the king of over thinking every damn thing - end up married. In Vegas. Overnight?" He turned to Bella, holding a hand up. "No offense there, sweetheart, but Edward, are you sure this kid is even yours?"

Pushing back his chair so fast it fell to the ground, Edward stood, glowering at his youngest brother. "I want you out of my house. Now," he demanded.

"Edward," Emmett tried to interject, but Jasper cut him off.

"No, that's fine," Jasper said, standing and grabbing his coat. "He knows how to dole out all the fast, hard questions, but he doesn't like it when the shoe is on the other foot. Like I said, it figures."

Almost before Bella could process what was happening, Jasper and Emmett were gone, slamming the door behind them.

She slumped, resting her head on the table as she tried not to cry... again. She was so sick of crying, especially in front of Edward. "Why did you do that?" she asked tiredly, and then she couldn't help but laugh. "Not only was it a fair question, but he's actually right."

"Technically," Edward said evenly, his breaths deep and calming. "But he doesn't know that. All he knows is you're my wife. You don't deserve that kind of disrespect."

"But I do," she said, raising her head. "They're only looking out for you."

"Regardless. I'm not going to tolerate them - anyone - treating you like that. It isn't right, whether you believe you deserve it or not. You don't."

Bella opened her mouth to argue, but realized his logic was actually sound. She blew out a frustrated puff of air. "I don't like you fighting with your family over me."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Edward took a moment before he responded. "They're my brothers," he murmured lightly. "We fight. It's likely that tomorrow, we'll make up. That's the way it goes sometimes." He frowned. "What I'm more worried about now is that they'll go right to my mother and father. I'd much prefer to tell them myself."

Though the prospect definitely made her queasy, Bella wasn't about to let Edward suffer more just because she wanted to be a coward. "Then we'd better get to their place, I think."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Bella, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do have to. Edward, if this is going to work, it can't be so one sided. You're obviously committed to helping me; let me make it as easy as I possibly can," she insisted.

"Stress isn't supposed to be good for pregnant women," he countered.

"I will be far more stressed out thinking things are tense with your family because of me," she returned.

He blew out a breath and nodded. "Okay. You win, and it does make sense. As I said, I prefer to be the one to talk to my parents." He looked at her. "Right now. You're sure?"

"I don't think it's going to get easier," she sighed.

At that, Edward smiled, and reached out, squeezing her hand gently. "Don't worry. Siblings will be siblings, and my brothers and I haven't had the best time building a relationship, not growing up together. Besides, brothers are specifically built to give each other a hard time. My parents, I believe, will be a lot easier." His lips twitched. "At least they won't be rude about it."

**~0~**

As Edward suspected, his parents were, in a way, much easier on Bella than his brothers had been.

Sitting in their cozy living room, Esme, predictably, burst into tears. She rushed to Bella's side, drawing her into an embrace.

Edward watched them carefully, ready to intervene lest his mother's exuberance overwhelm Bella. Though she stiffened at first, Bella soon melted into Eme's hug.

For just a minute, Edward allowed himself to pretend this happy scene was actually his. On the surface, it seemed to be a very nice picture: a pretty young wife who intrigued him and a baby on the way. It seemed like just the place he should be at 32 years of age.

Shaking his head surreptitiously, Edward reminded himself that this was just a dream he'd spun out of chance and convenience. It was important that he remembered the difference between fantasy and reality.

Edward was happy when his mother started asking Bella about the pregnancy. When she heard that Bella hadn't seen a doctor, Esme instantly took over, recommending her OB and beginning to list the things that she needed to think about. He'd been telling the truth when he said one of the things he was most concerned about was Bella getting the best care for herself and her baby. What he hadn't told her was that he had no idea how to go about arranging that.

While the women talked, Carlisle beckoned Edward into his office.

"Obviously, Edward, you're more than capable of making your own decisions," Carlisle began, his tone quiet and even. "However, as your father, I find myself obligated to ask. Believe me, you know I understand how your grandfather's opinions can be... far reaching."

"You think I married her because I got her pregnant," Edward filled in quietly.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

"I can say in complete honesty, that is not why I married her."

Carlisle nodded, accepting that easily. That was one thing Edward appreciated greatly. Despite being raised by Edward the First, Carlisle had somehow developed an open, empathetic mind.

"Have you told your grandfather?"

Edward imagined his expression closely resembled a bull being led to be castrated.

Carlisle nodded knowingly. "That's what I thought." He paused. "He won't be pleased."

"I'm aware of that," Edward said with a quiet sigh. "This is my life."

"Since when has that fact mattered to your grandfather?" Carlisle asked, barking out a wry laugh.

"Well, he can yell all he wants, but he can't undo what's done," Edward said resolutely.

Carlisle's smile was genuine then. "That, my son, is something I can truly thank God for." He walked to the corner of the room where a few bottles sat unobtrusively. "Well, you're a husband, and you're going to be a father. I can't think of a better man for the job."

Despite the soft, subtle twist of his heart - how he wished those words were true - his father's praise sent a warmth through him. "Thank you, Dad."

"I'm proud of you, Edward. I don't know that I tell you often enough, but it's a fact." Turning, Carlisle offered him a tumbler of whiskey. "Let's have a toast to my first grandchild."

Edward raised his glass, but set it down without drinking. While he didn't regret all that had happened between him and Bella, he also didn't think tempting fate was a good idea.

~0~

Carlisle and Esme insisted they stay for dinner, wanting to get to know their daughter-in-law, so twilight was bleeding into night as they arrived back home.

Bella turned the word home over in her head, wondering if she could ever look at the huge, brownstone mansion and feel like she belonged.

Of course, Bella knew that neighborhoods like this existed - all immaculate lawns, tree lined streets, and looming houses - but she couldn't say that she'd ever seen one with her own eyes. Then again, today had been full of things she'd never seen. She'd never seen the Chicago skyline - she'd never strayed that far from the west coast. Watching the shores of Lake Michigan gave her a small measure of comfort, reminding her of the ocean back home even though it was on the wrong side of the car.

"Bella, are you really okay?" Edward asked, stopping the car.

"I'm fine," she lied. It seemed unreasonable not to be fine - unappreciative.

Pursing his lips, he reached across the console to brush her cheek. Bella closed her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had been physically affectionate with her - at least, not without ulterior motive.

"Everything has changed so quickly," she murmured. Change was difficult for Bella. Typically, she agonized over every decision before she acted. The last week of her life had been one terrifying change after another.

"I want you to feel comfortable here," he said as they got out of the car. "What I told you before, about your room, is true. Please, anything that makes you feel more at home would be fine with me. A new bedspread perhaps?"

She raised an eyebrow, amused in spite of herself. "You think a new bedspread would make it better?"

He looked a little sheepish. "I think when the big things are so out of control, the small things can make a big difference. It's just that the room doesn't look like you, if that makes any sense."

Her expression must have been perplexed because he chuckled and shook his head. "I sound like Alice," he muttered.

"Alice?" she echoed, a twinge of dismay leaking into her voice.

"Alice is Jasper's girlfriend," Edward explained, and Bella instantly felt relieved. "I have to say, of my brothers' girlfriends, Alice is far and away my favorite. Rosalie, that's Emmett's fiancé, has her charm, but Alice is just fun to be around." He looked thoughtful. "She's good for Jasper, I think."

Bella hummed an acknowledgment. "And she thinks that bedspreads can define who you are as a person?"

"Ah, Alice has a lot of interesting ideas," Edward said, waving a hand. "But yes, she's always talking about what 'tone' speaks more to a person's personality. For Christmas, she and my mother redid my entire bedroom in gold tones."

"Gold," she said with a snort. "Yeah, that fits."

He considered her curiously. "My wealth bothers you quite a bit, doesn't it?"

"Bothers isn't the right word." She took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to put words to what she was feeling. "When I said yes to you that night, you could have been a cab driver living hand to mouth for all I knew. Even then, I didn't want or expect any of this," she swept her hand out, indicating the huge mansion around them. "All I wanted was for my baby to be safe from its lunatic father." She bowed her head. "I think I just feel like I'll never be able to repay you."

"Well, firstly, I too want your child to be safe. Right now, you and the baby are connected, so even if I wasn't concerned for you - and I am - looking out for your best interests is looking out for his... or hers. Besides that, Bella, I can't pretend this is entirely altruistic of me. You give me too much credit there." He shook his head, his expression a little sad. "In all honesty... that night, I was feeling very sorry for myself. You might have noticed, I live a very solitary life." He smiled wryly. "I have a housekeeper that comes three times a week - Leah. She's pretty much the best friend I have in the world and the only company I have most weeks, my family aside."

Bella said nothing, mentally storing this tidbit amidst the growing list of things she knew about this man. Edward Cullen who married girls he found crying on the street and made friends with the help.

"I suppose, what I'm trying to say," Edward continued, offering her a small smile, "is that I think it will be nice to have a little company for a time."

**~0~**

That night, Bella lay awake in the guest room across from the master bedroom. Edward had offered her a choice of any of the five rooms, but, intimidated by the largeness of the house, she'd chosen the room closest to him just to feel less alone. Besides that, it had a charm that spoke to here. There was a nook overlooking the huge backyard and drawers built into one wall.

For a long time, Bella stared up at the vaulted ceilings, trying to come to terms with her life.

She had run away from everything she'd ever known, from her tiny town to a huge city, from a small home and a tiny room with a double bed to huge mansion with a queen sized bed that was dwarfed by the room around it. She had nothing to her name but a few changes of clothes in a blue duffel bag, what was left of the money from the sale of her truck after she'd paid Edward back for the wedding, and the mysterious alien unit rapidly growing in her womb.

She was starting over but, when she thought about the kind man just across the hall, Bella had to acknowledge that, at the very least, she wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, that could have gone worse.
> 
> Next chapter, we finally meet Edward Cullen the First. Seems like most of you are predicting this meeting will not go well. Hmm.
> 
> Thank you to GinnyW, jfka06, and Barburella for all their help. And thanks to all of you. The response to this story has been overwhelming to put it mildly.


	5. Grandfather Cullen

Edward woke and immediately ducked his head out his door, checking to see that his quiet guest hadn't slipped away in the night. She still seemed so skittish, he was always amazed when she didn't just disappear.

Her room was empty, but the bed was rumpled. That made him oddly satisfied that she was still around, just somewhere else in the house. She struck him as the type to make her bed before she left.

Curious as to where she was, Edward ventured out of his room, padding down the hallway. When he neared the top of the stairs, the mouthwatering smell of breakfast nearly bowled him over.

His step, as he descended the stairs, quickened.

He followed his nose to the kitchen where he found Bella perched on a chair, humming and cutting slices of strawberry while she watched a waffle iron - Edward hadn't realized he owned a waffle iron - out of the corner of her eye. On the stove, the bottom of a frying pan was lined with bacon and sausage, sizzling and sputtering and giving off the most tantalizing smell. Another frying pan held eggs - scrambled - the heat on low.

"Did you stumble on an army you needed to feed?" he asked, chuckling.

Bella yelped, dropping her knife. "You scared me!" she exclaimed, hand to her heart. He was about to apologize but got distracted when her eyes raked over him and her cheeks tinted red as she looked away.

It took him a minute to realize that he wasn't wearing a shirt - which wasn't unusual; he slept in only pajama pants typically.

Edward's lips quirked up when he realized she'd been checking him out.

"I, um... I didn't know what you'd like, and I didn't want to wake you," she explained, adding her pile of strawberry slices to a small platter that looked like it already had peaches and blueberries. "I kind of made a little of everything."

"I can see that." He sat down and reached across, plucking a blueberry from her little pile and plopping it in his mouth. "I'm not typically a breakfast person, but I think I'll make an exception for this feast."

She frowned at him, her nose scrunching adorably. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," she lectured. "And besides, if you don't eat breakfast, why do you have breakfast food here?"

Edward looked at her from underneath his eyelashes, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Leah doesn't have time to stop for fast food breakfast, so I let her keep things here."

As he'd predicted, Bella made a face. "Oh, crap. Just tell me where the store is. I'll replace everything."

"Calm down, Bella. It's not a big deal."

She rolled her eyes at him.

Before he could tease her, the doorbell rang.

Instantly, Edward's stomach did a sickening roll. He did his best to put on a reassuring smile to soothe Bella's obvious trepidation. "Stay here a moment," he asked softly. "If you hear arguing, don't worry. It will be fine."

"Edward..."

"It will be fine," he repeated.

He stood, taking a deep breath, summoning his patience in advance, and walked to the door. The bell rang again before he got there, making him bristle.

Fully expecting to see his grandfather on the other side of the door, Edward was taken aback when he found instead his brother and Alice. He let out a breath, unable to hide his relief. "Oh, it's you."

Jasper eyed him significantly. "You thought I was Grandfather, didn't you?"

"Possibly," Edward said, slightly defensively.

Alice rolled her eyes at both of them. "Oh, Jesus." Shaking her head, she stepped inside, enveloping Edward in a hug. "Hey, hon."

"Hey," he greeted, smiling genuinely.

Stepping back, Alice eyed her boyfriend, folding her arms expectantly.

Jasper sighed, looking disgruntled. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday. Not that I don't have my doubts," he said quickly. "But I could have chosen a much more tactful way to express them."

"Yes, you could have," Edward agreed. "Thank you for saying so, though." He folded his arms across his chest. "To answer the question you posed, the only person who need be concerned about the baby's parentage is me. I trust Bella. That's all you need to know."

Though his little brother didn't look comfortable, he nodded his acceptance.

"Good," Edward said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Are you hungry? Bella apparently thought my appetite more closely resembled Emmett's. There's plenty of food."

"Oh, yes!" Alice enthused. "I can't wait to meet Bella!"

"Your wife made breakfast?" Jasper asked, his voice squeaking a little.

Edward had to smirk. While his brothers had had a very different upbringing than he had, Esme and Carlisle Cullen were no better cooks than he was. Additionally, neither Rosalie nor Alice showed much aptitude in the kitchen.

He hadn't been joking when he told Bella she could pay him back easily by cooking for him. Maybe the old adage was true. The way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Bella had expressed a desire to smooth things over with his brothers. Breakfast for Jasper would definitely be a start.

"Come on. If you're going to be a little nicer, I'm sure Bella is amenable to sharing." He tilted his head, looking at his brother sternly. "Your apologies will extend to her, I assume?"

Jasper gave a short nod. "I think that's fair, sure."

Edward nodded back. "Good."

**~0~**

The next day, Sunday, Bella slept in until nearly noon. She was still blinking blearily as she stumbled down the stairs, flopping onto the couch opposite where Edward sat reading an architectural journal. He chuckled, and she knew she must have looked like a big kid, rubbing her eyes the way she was.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked solicitously.

"Like I wish I could drink coffee," she mumbled.

"I don't think I own a coffee maker," he mused.

"That's probably better," she admitted. "My willpower isn't at its highest right now."

"Did my family wear you out that much?" he asked, putting his journal aside. The evening before, the whole family had gathered for dinner - ordered in. It was a 'getting to know you' type of ordeal that had been, while a little awkward, mostly fine.

There was no bloodshed, anyway.

"It's a bit much for me," she admitted softly. "I'm an only child, you know? I didn't grow up with that many people around."

"Neither did I."

She looked up at him, confused for a moment, before she nodded. "Right. Big age gap."

"It wasn't only that," he said, his voice quiet and, she thought, also a little sad. "I didn't see them a lot when I was a kid - when they were small. I didn't see them with any degree of frequency until I was almost the age they are now."

The far off tone of his voice, the way his eyes tightened at the corners as he spoke, made Bella's heart ache. Her instinct was to go to him, folding him in her arms to take away his pain, but she resisted, feeling somewhat out of sorts.

"I don't understand," she said when he didn't speak.

He seemed to come back to himself then, looking at her with a somewhat apologetic expression. "It's a long story; nothing you need be concerned about."

Bella frowned, a flicker of irritation passing through her. For a minute, she wrestled with herself, wanting to remind him that this wasn't a one way street. Though they had only known each other these very few days, she cared about him. She wanted to know his aches so she could help if it was possible. Maybe she couldn't do for him what he was doing for her - Edward wasn't in trouble, after all - but she could be there for him.

But then, that was assuming Edward wanted her to be his friend.

Their relationship, such as it was, was the antithesis of clear.

Before she could break the silence that had descended over them, Edward's phone chirped. He answered without looking

As Bella watched, the blood visibly drained from Edward's face. "Grandfather, I-" He frowned, obviously having been cut off. "Well, no, sir, I... Yes, sir, I apologize. Yes. That's-" He held the phone away from him, glaring at it with a disgruntled, nervous expression on his face.

The sight of him obviously a bit unhinged had Bella freaked out. Edward generally held himself with such unerring self control, it was disquieting to see the expression on his face. He looked like he had just bitten into a moldy lemon and was being made to hold it in his mouth.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in through his mouth. "My grandfather will be here shortly."

_**~0~** _

Bella thought if this confrontation lasted any longer, she was going to grind her teeth straight down to dust.

After Edward's announcement that his grandfather was on his way, Bella felt pulled in several directions at once. Between Edward's reaction and the way the other Cullens talked about the man, Bella found herself almost as terrified of him as she was of her baby's father and his friend. She wasn't all the way awake; she wasn't dressed... she wasn't prepared.

Edward had snapped out of his own fear to calm her.

"Take your time getting ready. In fact, it might actually be better if you stay out of sight until... well, until he's had a chance to get his initial reaction out of his system."

Edward Cullen the First's initial reaction was horrendous.

By the time Bella was done showering and getting dressed, the conversation had already escalated in volume. She could hear a furious raised voice though, from the top of the stairs, she couldn't discern the words. It chilled her greatly because the smooth, velvety tone was familiar.

This was exactly how Edward would sound if he was livid; perhaps slightly rougher.

The thought made her shiver.

She'd gradually crept down, ending up in the dining room, hidden from the open entryway to one of the home's living rooms. She could hear everything that was being said.

And she. Was. Pissed.

Grandfather Cullen was raking his eldest grandson over the coals. This was more horrific than Bella ever could have imagined. The elder Cullen was not only mean, he was downright cruel. That his venom was aimed at Edward - who was one of the kindest people Bella had ever met - was nothing short of maddening.

Bella was torn. What she wanted, more than anything, was to go in guns blazing. Edward didn't seem to be defending himself at all, but demurring to his grandfather's opinion that he was the biggest idiot who'd ever graced God's green earth, that he was a sinner, a whore consumed with vile lust. When Edward had to admit how old she was, his grandfather had further called him a pervert and a corrupter of the innocent.

What she wanted, desperately, was to argue. Edward hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe he was too trusting, but wasn't that closer to a virtue than a vice?

But, seeing how obstinate and irrational the man was, she could imagine that Edward's grandfather probably wouldn't react well to some little girl getting in his face. She could only make things worse for Edward.

So she sat at the dining room table, her hands in fists, crying frustrated, furious tears.

"Your point is well made, sir, but this is my life, my choices," Edward said, his voice straining for calm.

"You're just as big of a disappointment as your father. Bigger because you actually could have been something," the old man snarled. "I can't believe you would be so stupid as to throw it all away over some child!"

"I beg your pardon, but don't you think you're overreacting? What precisely is it that I'm throwing away?" Edward asked, exasperation melting into his tone. "I'm over thirty, not fifteen. I've earned my degree, and my job is steady. Most people my age have been successfully managing marriage and their work for years."

"Don't you raise your voice at me, boy," Edward senior snapped. "You have nothing that I didn't give you. You've earned nothing. The only reason you even have a job is because I asked your cousin for a favor."

Bella bit her lip, wondering again at how she'd found herself in this situation. There was so much she didn't know about Edward - her husband.

"Tell me this, Edward, did you at least have enough common sense to sign a pre-nup?"

"No, but-"

"You irresponsible ass!" The man sounded so disgusted. "I should have known better than to trust our family's money to my idiot son's bastard. I should have known you could never be anything besides a mistake."

Bella clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. It was all she could do to keep herself in her chair. Over and over again, she chanted in her head that she couldn't make things harder on Edward by screaming at his grandfather.

Edward was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was tight - whether with rage or hurt, Bella couldn't tell. "I realize you're disappointed in my choices, but I'm not sure what you're talking about. What does my marriage have to do with the family's money?"

"Maybe you can be naive to the world, Edward, but you can bet your whore of a wife -"

"Now, hold on!" Edward interrupted, anger seeping into his tone for the first time.

"Don't you interrupt me!"

"I will interrupt you on this point, sir," Edward returned. "Say as you will about me. That's your right. But Bella has done nothing to you. She doesn't deserve your ire."

His grandfather laughed, the sound scathing and condescending. "It amazes me that you can be such an idiot child. Maybe you don't realize. If she opened her legs for you without the intention of marriage - and from your story, I have no doubt that was the case - then, with you so far away, I'm sure you were not her only conquest."

"You know nothing of my wife," Edward said furiously.

"And what do you know, Edward? What do you know of her background or her family or her situation, that she would throw everything away to follow you here? How can you be sure that she didn't do this to trap you - to trick you out of your money? A girl like that, one way or another, makes her living on her back."

"Enough, Grandfather. That's enough." Edward blew out a sharp breath. "All my life, I've done everything in my power to please you, to gain your trust. I know Bella; I trust her. That should be enough for you. Besides, what's done is done. What would you have me do? Would it please you if I offered to divorce her now? Renounce the baby?"

Bella couldn't breathe for a few heartbeats, waiting for the old man's answer. There was only silence.

"I thought not," Edward said, his voice quite a bit more steady. He sighed. "Can you not see it in your heart to treat her with kindness, as a fellow human being ought to be treated? Can you not give her some respect if only because she is your great-grandchild's mother?"

"Maybe, if I was as big of a fool as you, I would believe that child is my blood," the older man hissed. "But you're right. Done is done and you married the girl. Mark my words, it'll be you who pays the consequences, not me."

There was the sound of footsteps across the wooden floor. The door opened and then slammed, echoing through the house and making Bella jump.

The silence in the house was deafening.

Feeling shaky, Bella quickly wiped her tears away, trying to calm her sniffling. She stood on fawn's legs and carefully peered in the living room.

Edward was sitting on the sofa, hunched forward, his head in his hands, taking deep breaths. She padded across the room slowly, wondering if he could even stand to look at her after that.

When he became aware of her presence hovering near him, Edward sucked in a breath and straightened up slowly. He smiled, or at least, he tried. It was a vague approximation of the grin she knew he was capable of - heartbreakingly twisted and thin.

"You heard that, didn't you? Of course you did," he answered his own question. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Bella stared at him, incredulous. " _You're_ sorry?" She shook her head fervently. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to go through that because of me. It doesn't make any sense. In the last two days you've fought with your family over me..." She sat down beside him heavily. "I'm not worth this."

Edward snorted, shifting so he could face her. "That's not true. You know, if anything, it's him who's not worth  _this_ ," he said, carefully wiping away a stray tear from under her eyelashes. "Grandfather... he pretends to be so pious, but this is what he does. He sits on his high horse and self-righteously tears apart everyone around him. No one is good enough, smart enough, for him."

For a moment, his expression betrayed an anger so unfathomably deep, it frightened her, but he tempered it carefully. "This was bad, it's true. It makes me all the more sympathetic toward my father. Can you imagine? This is how he reacts when his grown grandson brings home a wife unexpectedly. Can you imagine being a fifteen year old boy trying to live up to his expectations like my father was?"

Bella was quiet for a long moment, deep in thought. The faraway look in his eyes didn't escape her notice.

After all, though he hadn't brought home a pregnant girlfriend at the time, Edward had been a fifteen year old boy under his grandfather's roof, too.

Looking back over the conversation and what little she knew of Carlisle Cullen, Bella could see the difference and frankly, she sympathized more with Edward than with his father.

Although whatever had happened between Carlisle and his father had doubtlessly been messy and traumatic, Edward's father had escaped Edward the First's tyrannical reign. Oh, it was true, his house wasn't nearly as big as Edward's, and he had probably struggled a great deal more than he would have, but he was out of his father's influence.

Edward, it was increasingly apparent, was still very much under his grandfather's thumb.

Acting on impulse, she put her arms around him, kissing his cheek . He seemed surprised, but when she didn't let go, he ducked his head down, laying it on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and letting her hold him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah, my kids.
> 
> Thank you so much to TwilightMundi for stepping in to beta. Thanks as always to barburella, jfka06, and GinnyW
> 
> And really, thank you all so much for your thoughtful responses. I adore each and every one of you.


	6. The Right Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so surprised that no one liked Grandfather Cullen! Isn't he what all grandfathers should be? Warm and cuddly? No? Hmmm.

Monday morning dawned, and Edward got up, his movements robotic as he moved about his room.

This had been his routine for so many years - since elementary school, really. Early to rise. Dress for the day. Go to school - university - work. Work hard. Live right. Count your blessings.

It was how his grandfather had raised him.

And yet, he reflected, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror - foggy from his shower - though he had never stepped so much as a toe out of line till now, it was not good enough for Grandfather Cullen.

It wasn't a surprise by a long shot. This was the story of his life since before his birth.

His parents had named him after his grandfather - Edward Anthony Cullen the Second - in an effort to appease Edward Anthony Cullen the First. Just a few days after his birth, they'd caved to the pressure both of raising a newborn and of Grandfather's constant badgering, and left it up to the old man to raise him.

Over and over, his parents tried desperately to redeem themselves in the eyes of the elder Cullen. Over and over, they failed. Finally, they gave up and got on with their lives, living for themselves and later, the two boys they had when they were a little better equipped.

Not that Edward blamed them, but it left all of his grandfather's pressure directly on his shoulders.

It was a staggering weight to bear.

For the first 18 years of his life, Edward lived up to his name. Even then, though he parroted much of the judgemental venom the older man spewed, he still never seemed to measure up.

He attended Cornell University and, away from his grandfather's influence for months at a time, he was startled to find there was a wide, varying world of thought available to him. He began to recognize that his grandfather's worldview was in actuality, very constricted.

Though he began to quietly defy his grandfather's beliefs in favor of views he formed on his own, Edward still tried very hard to be the dutiful son. He graduated with honors, a year ahead of schedule. It was true that he worked in the family's corporation, headed by his cousin Felix, but he worked hard to set himself above his peers.

And still it wasn't enough.

Still chafing at his grandfather's hasty, cruel words, Edward tried to force his indignant hurt down and examine the argument without the anger with which it was flung.

Edward had long since fallen away from the church where his grandfather preached. It wasn't that he'd lost God. He'd just found religion in beautiful sunsets and moments shared with the people who loved him most. There were some ideals he'd been taught, though, that he'd never before thought of shaking.

He was simply not one who enjoyed making a mockery of an institution he cherished.

Grandfather Cullen had married only once and, as far as Edward knew, hadn't even dated again. His mother and father had been married since they were 20 years old. When he thought about marriage, he thought about forever. He'd never thought he would end up married on a drunken night in Vegas.

Was it the wrong thing to do, to continue perpetuating this sham marriage?

He continued going about his morning, these thoughts rattling around in his head.

Time must have passed more quickly than he expected because the next thing Edward knew, he heard a key turning in the lock. He stood, jogging to the door just as it opened.

"Good morning, E-"

"Shhh," Edward hushed, gesturing with his hands.

Leah quirked a perfectly manicured eyebrow, looking extremely annoyed at being shushed. Then her eyes went wide, and she leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you actually have a-" she pretended to gasp, "-female here?"

Edward glared for a moment before his shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath, prepared to tell his well rehearsed lie for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Shut it," Leah demanded. "I can already smell the bullshit."

He narrowed his eyes, about to protest, but the look she was giving him took all the wind out of his sails.

Besides, he reasoned, she was the housekeeper. It was one thing, keeping it from his family who never had cause to venture to the upstairs rooms that they didn't sleep in the same bed. Leah would know.

"Truth?" he asked.

"Spit it out," she returned, folding her arms across her chest.

With a resigned sigh, he tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. "This might take a while."

Some time later, Leah was gaping at him like a fish out of water.

"I want, so badly, to believe I've done the right thing," Edward murmured. "But a great part of me feels that my grandfather is right. I've profaned an institution I place a high value on."

Leah snorted. "Edward, no thought that starts off with your grandfather being right should be taken to heart."

He looked up at her, feeling lost. "Tell me the truth, Leah. You fight constantly for this right, and I've made a mockery of it."

"Oh, Jesus," she muttered. "Okay, since you've taken it there... What I fight for is the right to the business of marriage - joint taxes, health insurance, all that jazz. All of those numbers you have a right to just because you have a penis and prefer vaginas.

"To me, there are two other types of marriage. The commitment kind that people like your grandfather love to extol upon is something that happens in your heart, when you give yourself to another person and agree to share your life. That is the only true kind of marriage - the only kind that matters in the sense that everyone bitches and moans about."

"And the third type of marriage?"

"Under the church, of course, which, like all matters of religion is highly subjective and differs from institution to institution, person to person."

She pointed, wagging her finger in his face. "If you ask me, we got it all wrong when we put so much pomp and circumstance on what should have been a personal matter between two people... or you know, however many people floats your boat if your boat floats that way. We gave marriage a definition so people - again, like your grandfather - could look down their nose, saying they have it right and use that as an excuse to judge others who don't define that union the same way."

Edward didn't answer, turning those ideas over in his head, not sure he was completely comfortable with all of them.

Leah sighed. "Look at it this way, okay? You didn't make a promise before God if that's your thing. You didn't make the more important - to me - commitment of the heart. What you did was sign a piece of paper telling the government that you and this Bella chick are together. What you did was noble - playing the system so this girl has what she needs."

She tilted her head, looking at him significantly. "Maybe I think you're a little bit of a moron for being so trusting, but you know what? That's a beautiful thing, too. Not a lot of people would have had the courage to take such a chance. What we forget too often in this world is that sometimes people get in over their heads. We forget that we were never meant to be solitary beings only out for own best interests. You took a look at this girl and, instead of wishing her the best of luck and returning to your own life, you picked her up and dusted her off."

"Wow." Edward chuffed, a little incredulous. "Were you abducted? Where's the woman who usually busts my balls?"

"Well, you know... I got laid last night, so that helps your case some," Leah chuckled. "But honestly, Edward, I could tell you that you've put yourself in a position to lose a lot, and you have, but I'm pretty sure you already know that. Besides, for once in your life, you followed your heart instead of your grandfather's voice. That's a definite improvement if ever I heard one."

~0~

Edward got to work feeling a little bit better about the situation.

He pulled up the internal HR screen, scrolling to the documents he needed. After he'd read everything carefully, he had to laugh.

"I don't know her social security number," he muttered.

"Talking to yourself, Edward?"

Edward looked up, finding Heidi, the company's HR Director, standing in his doorway. He huffed, offering her a smile. "You're just the person I wanted to see, actually."

She raised an eyebrow, her lips spreading in a slow, sexy grin. "Oh, really?"

Doing his best not to grimace at her obvious flirtation, Edward proffered his marriage certificate. "I'm trying to add my, er, wife to my insurance, but I don't have her social security number."

It was difficult to keep a straight face, watching her eyes bug out. Her lips moved, but the sound that came out wasn't recognizable as human. Tactfully, he looked away, allowing her a moment to regain her composure.

"Well," she said, her voice a little shrill. "That's no problem, really. I see your, uh, certificate. Oh! Vegas. That's..."

He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled to cover her true reaction.

"That's that, isn't it?" She chuckled awkwardly.

"You see, Heidi, she's pregnant."

Heidi choked and sat down heavily in the seat across from him.

"I need to get her added to my insurance as quickly as possible."

"Of course!" Heidi nodded. "It's really no problem, Edward. I'll get the ball rolling. You give me her social tomorrow, okay?"

"That sounds great. Thank you, Heidi."

Her smile was tight. "It's really no problem."

Edward tried not to groan as she walked away. He'd hoped that he could fly under the radar for at least a few days after the exhausting weekend he'd had. It wasn't to be. Now that Heidi knew, the whole company would know in a matter of hours.

Sure enough, it was only a half hour later that a rap on his door drew Edward's attention to the fact that his cousin Felix - the company's CEO - was leaning against the wall, grinning in a way that made him very uncomfortable.

"You. Dog," Felix exclaimed, his smile still wide.

"I beg your pardon?"

Throwing back his head, Felix laughed heartily and stepped into the office. "I wouldn't have thought you had it in you,' he said, shaking his head. "I'd even begun to suspect you were a eunuch, and then you bring home a teenage trophy wife."

Carefully, Edward set the blueprints he'd been going over down on his desk, counting to ten in his head before he even tried to respond. "Firstly, she's not a teenager."

Felix waved his hand. "Close enough. I'll bet she's a knockout if she caught  _your_ attention."

"Felix," Edward groaned. "It's not like that."

His cousin held up a hand, chuckling. "No need to be bashful about it, Edward. If you caught a twenty year old wife, that means you still got it."

Not for the first time, Edward wondered how he could be related to this man.

On paper, Felix Scarpinato was everything Grandfather Cullen wished Carlisle had been. He was Edward the First's sister's son. He'd kept his nose clean, graduated with honors from both high school and Harvard University, and now ran the family business and ran it well. He'd given Sulpicia Scarpinato nee Cullen several  _legitimate_ grandchildren, all of whom were growing up to be model citizens. He was well praised in the community, known for giving generously to various charities.

Privately, Edward found his elder cousin to be quite boorish. He was definitely a man's man, and thought of his wives as just another indicator of his wealth and status.

If Grandfather Cullen had any sense, he would not be jealous of his sister's successful son. His own son had been married to the same woman for over two decades while Felix was on his fourth wife. Carlisle didn't need to throw money at the community. He showed his sense of charity by giving of himself and his time where he could. It was true that he would never make as much money as Felix did, but he worked very hard. He and Esme had made a business of buying, restoring, and selling houses. It was only in the last seven or eight years that they'd saved enough to own a steady home outright while they bought other properties, turning them over or keeping them as rentals, but they'd made it together and lived quite comfortably.

It may have taken him a while to come to that conclusion, but since the wool had been yanked from over his eyes, Edward had tried to be his father's son.

"And a baby on the way, too, eh?" Felix continued, oblivious to Edward's quiet fuming. "You work quick, don't you? I understand, of course. Not a lot makes a man feel more like a man than a son to carry on his name."

"Is that what it takes?" Edward asked coolly, his tone deceivingly innocent. "Well, I'd always wondered."

His cousin eyed him, and then chuckled again, slapping him on the back. "I hope you enjoyed your freedom while it lasted, boy. You're a married man now. It's a whole other world."

"Yes, I can see that," Edward said honestly.

**~0~**

The Cullens made Bella nervous, but that wasn't really their fault.

The dinner get together had been mostly friendly. Rosalie - Emmett's fiancee - had been the coldest. It was obvious she didn't trust Bella, but she had a great deal more tact than Jasper had. Her questions were far more innocent. Edward had bristled at her cool attitude, but Bella gently reminded him that it was only natural for them to be suspicious. It must have been quite a shock for him to bring home a wife rather than work up to the idea like most people did.

Jasper was trying to be open - that much was obvious. He was noticeably suspicious but tried to keep it from his tone and expression. It went without saying that his girlfriend was a positive influence. Alice was the warmest of the "children". She was always all smiles, seeming to accept Bella's place in Edward's life. Talking with her was less of a veiled interrogation and more of a conversation.

From what she could tell, Emmett was a roll with the punches kind of guy. He didn't take much seriously, which would explain why he missed it when what he probably thought were gentle jibes cut Edward deep. She didn't think he was trying to wound his brother, and Edward typically tempered his frown quickly, forcing a smile until the moment passed.

With her, Emmett was friendly. She could tell he liked teasing. His questions were intrusive but not meant to be cruel.

Carlisle, like his youngest son, seemed carefully concerned. He was empathetic, gentle, and obviously looking out for his son's best interests. Though it made her feel doubly bad they were lying to his family's face, Bella couldn't be anything but glad that someone had Edward's well being at heart.

Edward's mother, Esme, on the other hand seemed to have embraced the idea that her long-bachelor son had married as nothing but a wonderful thing. She'd accepted Bella as a daughter as naturally as she took to breathing, and, like Alice, wanted to get to know the new woman in her son's life.

Which was why Bella shouldn't have been surprised when Esme showed up wanting to take her to the doctor.

It wasn't a point that Bella could argue. It had occurred to her that she was a little far along for first doctor's appointments - at least, she thought she might be, what did she know - and because everything else had gone so spectacularly wrong, she was terrified that there was some problem with the pregnancy.

So she conceded quickly, letting Esme drive her and soothe her fears.

Esme had been wonderful - better than Bella's own mother ever could have been in that situation. Normally, Bella would have been completely against the idea of a woman who was still a stranger to her accompanying her into the exam room. But, if she were being honest with herself, amidst all the other things that had her running scared, Bella hadn't quite had the time to wrap her mind around the utter terror she felt at finding herself unexpectedly pregnant.

To that point, Bella hadn't given any thought to being a mother. She had no idea if that was what she wanted. When she figured out she was pregnant, her instinct had been to protect the innocent being from its father because no one else should have to suffer due to her stupidity.

Now that the immediate danger had passed, Bella was beginning to grapple with the idea of gestating a whole human being. The concept was too much to fathom, and it seemed terror had become her primary emotion.

So she let Esme stand at her side and took what comfort she could when the older woman squeezed her shoulder. When they did an ultrasound and the baby's whirring, quick heartbeat filled the room, Bella looked to Esme as if asking permission before she smiled, wanting to know if it was okay, scared as she was, to be awed at the sound.

When Esme gazed down at the ultrasound, looking at the blurry shape that more closely resembled a lopsided bean than a baby at that point, her ecstatic grin allowed Bella to consider the option that this baby could be a good thing. Up until then, she'd only felt stupid, overwhelmed, and scared.

"It's nice that you would go out of your way for Edward," Bella said softly, interrupting her own erratic thoughts to fill the silence in the car when they were on their way home. "Not all mothers would do that for their grown children."

Esme glanced over at her briefly before returning her eyes to the road. "Really, Bella, this is such a small favor. I would gladly give any friend a ride to the doctor."

"And pay their copay?" Bella asked pointedly.

The older woman pursed her lips and chuckled lightly. "You make it sound as though it was an enormous amount. It's not a big deal. Even if it was, the money is simply being juggled. Edward will reimburse me before the day is out, and his insurance will reimburse him once all the paperwork is sorted.

"Besides," she said, the skin around her eyes tightening, "I owe my son much, much more than I could ever hope to give. Taking his wife to the doctor to ensure my grandchild is healthy is just a given. It doesn't even count toward that debt."

"I'm sorry if I'm prying, but you seem to feel very guilty, and I don't think that's necessary," Bella said, eager to ease Esme's obvious pain. "It's easy to tell that Edward adores you."

Esme's answering smile was gentle. "I find it amazing that my son could forgive me at all, after what we put him through."

"What do you mean?"

Again, Esme looked at her briefly. "Edward hasn't told you the full story, has he?" she guessed.

"He told me you let his grandfather raise him, but-"

"We gave up our parental rights entirely, Bella," Esme interrupted, her voice pained. "We let ourselves believe it was best that we had absolutely no say in how he was raised. Looking back, I don't know how we could have ever thought it was a good idea. When we were kids, I can't tell you how often I had to comfort Carlisle when his father made him feel... and when he..."

The older woman took a deep, steadying breath. "Edward's grandfather is very... traditional."

Bella scoffed. "I think you mean judgmental and hard."

"You've met him then. I'd wondered," Esme said tightly. "Still, when Edward was a very little baby, we thought we might have made the best choice. Carlisle and I were able to go back to working hard to finish school. Yes, we got a lot of grief from Edward's grandfather, but we were allowed to see our son frequently."

She paused, pressing her lips together hard. "Well, as you perhaps can imagine, one of Edward's grandfather's beliefs is the old adage, spare the rod, spoil the child."

Bella's hand went to her mouth, and she pressed down.

"I don't mean to imply that Edward was... abused," Esme said quickly. "It's just that Grandfather Cullen has never hesitated to use... physical correction. I knew this because of Carlisle... Why we didn't think..."

"Edward was three years old when we first saw it, and I instantly regretted everything. That he could be so demanding of a toddler..." Her voice wavered, and she had to take a breath before she went on. "We tried, then, to take him back. We were adults. We thought we could handle it. If nothing else, at least Edward wouldn't be subjected to that."

"What happened?" Bella asked softly when Esme didn't continue right away.

By then, they'd arrived back at Edward's house. Esme turned the car off and leaned forward, her elbows on the steering wheel and her hands over her eyes. "We contested his rights, but we were eighteen, and we'd signed a contract. The judge ruled in his favor, and..."

Her voice choked.

Bella reached over, her hand on Esme's arm, perplexed and heartbroken by the other woman's obvious grief.

It took a moment, but Esme calmed and raised her head, looking not at Bella but straight ahead. "He didn't let us see Edward for two years."

"Oh, my God," Bella muttered, completely horrified. She'd known that the senior Cullen was mean, but that was a level of cruelty she couldn't quite wrap her mind around.

"After that, we did what we could. We had to be agreeable, even when we didn't agree, because we knew he wouldn't hesitate to take Edward away again. As he grew older, Edward's grandfather made it very difficult for us to see him, and when we did, we had no say at all in his life," Esme finished with a sigh.

For a long moment, they sat in silence, Bella quietly fuming.

She was really beginning to hate this man she'd never even laid eyes on.

"It wasn't your fault," she said fervently. "It was him who made Edward's life - all your lives - harder than they needed to be."

Esme turned, offering up a sad smile. "I'm Edward's mother, Bella. Maybe I was an idiotic, scared out of my mind child, but I was still his mother. Every hardship he had to endure, every moment of self doubt his grandfather placed in his head - and even now, Edward doubts himself constantly - is my fault."

She reached across the console, impulsively grabbing Bella's hand. "But somehow, my son got through all of that, and I don't think any mother could ever be prouder than I am of him," she said, eyes shining. "Edward is such a good man, and he'll be an amazing father. He isn't his grandfather. He isn't like Carlisle and me. He's going to do this the right way. I know it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many thanks to barburella, jfka06, and Ginnyw for all their help. Much love.
> 
> And love, as always, to all of you. You have questions. Hopefully you got a few answers. More to come!


	7. Something In The Air

For the first time in Edward's life, his mother was waiting when he got home. Actually, she happened to be at her car when he pulled up.

"Ah, Edward," she greeted him, hugging him. She stepped back then, crossing her arms. "I'm glad I caught you before you got in the door."

Edward tilted his head, looking at his mother carefully. "Am I in trouble?" he asked, reading the expression on her face with perplexed amusement. It was, for them, a novel situation.

Her answering smile was somewhat sardonic. "I know it's not my place to meddle," she began.

"But?"

She sighed. "I suppose I'm just wondering why you weren't there today," she said gently.

"Well, I..." Edward started, thrown by the question. "I... I guess, I didn't think about it." He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

Esme pursed her lips, taking a moment before she spoke. "Pregnancy is an extremely trying, emotional time for any woman, but Bella is so young. She seems very frightened. She doesn't seem at all happy about being pregnant."

Edward looked down, feeling instantly ashamed. "This wasn't planned. I just thought she might be uncomfortable having me there."

"You're her husband. We heard the baby's heartbeat today, got his first picture. Any pregnant woman would want to share that moment but not with her mother-in-law."

"I'm sorry," Edward said, ducking his head.

She patted his arm. "I didn't bring it up to chastise you, sweetheart. I know you're just as new to this as she is." When she saw the look on his face, she frowned. "Really, I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty. Your relationship is relatively new, and marriage isn't easy. You'll get better at communicating but only if you work at it."

"You're right," he answered lightly. "I didn't mean to be so inattentive. I know she's scared. I should have thought to go with her." He grimaced. "A good husband, a good father would have known that."

"Oh, sweetheart," his mother sighed. "Don't do that to yourself."

Quickly, Edward shook his head, putting on a smile for his mother. "I was thinking out loud, that's all. Will you stay? We can go out for dinner - the three of us. Or we can pick up Dad, too."

Esme's cheek twitched, and she smiled. "Bella already invited me for dinner, except we're not going out."

"Oh, no?"

They'd gotten to his door at that point, and as he opened it, he stumbled backward, overwhelmed.

His mother laughed lightly at him. "I need to track back to my car. I was out here for a reason, after all. I'll meet you inside in a few minutes."

Edward nodded absently, more consumed with the odor that permeated the air.

It was something of a novelty to walk in the door of his home and have the aroma of dinner cooking hit him like a brick wall.

A mouthwatering, delicious brick wall.

Following his nose, he had to pause outside the kitchen, wiping his hand across his mouth to ensure he wasn't drooling.

Edward peered around the corner, resting his head against the wall, content to watch unobserved for a moment.

It wasn't that he was trying to be creepy; he'd just never really had the chance to see Bella this … natural. She always carried herself with her shoulders slightly hunched, her eyes looking warily out from under long eyelashes as if she expected to be scolded. Given the circumstances, Edward understood that she had every reason to be paranoid, awaiting rebuff. He'd wondered, though, what she was like when she was at ease.

There was a serene sort of smile on her face as she moved about the kitchen, chopping this and stirring that. It made him happy. Despite her desire to pay him back in whatever way possible, he'd wondered if she resented being asked to cook. Just because she could, didn't mean she'd want to.

She was very pretty. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed before; there'd just been other, more important things to think about. It felt wrong to look at her the way a man might look at a woman, taking in all her features. Just because he was helping her didn't give him the right to ogle. In fact, it was the very last thing she needed: another man looking at her like that.

But he couldn't help that his eyes were open. He couldn't help but admire the quiet beauty of her face: her flawless skin, full lips, and dark eyes full of secret thoughts. She'd piled her hair on her head, exposing a neck that cried to be kissed and Edward had the oddest sensation - a craving to splay his hand over the expanse of skin where her back disappeared into the tank top shirt she wore.

Again, Edward felt a pang, a simple twist of his heart.

It wasn't such a bad fantasy, imagining this was really his. He wasn't so old-fashioned that all he desired in a wife was a clean house and a meal on the table, but it was nice to come home to someone. Not just anyone, but this woman - this kind, courageous, intriguing woman. There was still so much she held trapped inside of her, so many puzzles, and he wanted the time to unwind them all.

The front door opening again reminded Edward he was being rude - staring as he was. He cleared his throat, smiling gently as Bella turned. She looked a little shocked, but her answering smile seemed genuine, if a bit shy, when she greeted him.

"Bella... what is that smell?"

She seemed a little uneasy, glancing up at him with uncertainty. "Um. It's nothing special. It's just chicken enchiladas and Mexican rice. Is that okay?" She grimaced. "It was probably a bad idea to make it without asking you first."

"No, it really does smell delicious," he hurried to assure her. "And it's fine. I'm not picky."

At that, she actually snorted, though she quickly covered her mouth, looking at him apologetically. Behind him, Esme was also chuckling.

"What?" he asked, raising an amused eyebrow as he looked between his mother and his wife. "I'm not."

Esme full on started chortling.

Her lips quirking upward, Bella's expression was lighter than he could ever recall seeing. "Yes you are. You're finicky."

She was teasing him, but she wasn't.

"Who told you I was finicky? Mom? Are you spreading nasty rumors?"

"Don't look at me," Esme said merrily, holding her hands up.

"No one had to tell me. I have eyes and ears," Bella replied, feigning indignation. "Come on, Edward. Have you heard yourself order food? You ask about every little detail and change things around."

"Maybe I'm a little particular about how I want my food prepared..."

"Yes. That is the definition of the word finicky," she concluded, stabbing a fork in the air in his direction for additional emphasis.

He chuckled. "I suppose you're right. But, that being said, your dinner smells delicious. I'm enjoying just the smell, so I imagine the taste will be just as good if not better. "

She looked down, but he was glad to find she looked pleased at his compliment.

"Bella?" Esme began as they sat down a few minutes later. "Did you show Edward the ultrasound?"

"Oh, no," Bella answered, ducking her head. Her eyes flitted up to his, and Edward gave her a small smile of encouragement.

Dutifully, she stood and retrieved her bag. Instantly, Edward could see what his mother was talking about. There was something distinctly pained about her expression - as if she was waiting for his lip to curl in disgust or something to that effect. None of the happiness that usually pervaded the air when there was talk of babies and pregnancy was present, nor was Bella glowing with joy the way people spoke about.

But there was, he thought, the slightest bit of hope in the way she placed the image in his outstretched hand, biting her lip as she did. It reminded him of a child presenting her parent with a random treasure she'd found, unsure if she would be met with approval.

Carefully, keeping his eyes on hers so she wouldn't be startled by his movement, he wrapped an arm loosely around her waist, tugging her gently to his side. He glanced at the image and then up at her with a lopsided grin. "Looks like you get bad reception in your uterus."

She smirked, her hand setting on the back of his neck almost naturally. Edward was briefly distracted by the thrill that ran down his spine at her soft touch.

"This is the baby, right here," Bella said quietly, brushing her finger against the vague shape.

"Are you sure you're not having a baby kidney bean?" he teased, his eyes locked now on the blurry image. He supposed, if one had a good imagination, it was vaguely human shaped.

"That's what I said," she replied, laughing. "It's more the size of an olive, though."

He splayed his hand over the small of her back, rubbing lightly. "What else?" he prompted gently.

Bella blinked, as if she wasn't quite sure what he was asking. He saw when she got it though, and her free hand tentatively moved up to rest on her belly. "Its boy parts or girl parts are forming. And it weighs about as much as a penny." She scrunched up her nose. "And it looks like it's from Mars."

Edward felt his smile broaden, and he instinctually raised his free hand to rest lightly over hers. The joy he felt then was real, and for just a moment, when their eyes met, he didn't have to pretend this was exactly what he wanted.

His mother's chuckle startled both of them, and they looked over at her. Suddenly aware of his surroundings, Edward let Bella go, and she stepped away, sliding back into the seat next to him.

As they resumed eating their meal - which was indeed just as delicious as the smell promised - Edward wondered if he was the only one who noticed the way the atmosphere around them seemed to grow heavy - almost dizzying. It wasn't unpleasant, but it made his brain just a tick or two slower than normal.

He'd just about managed to convince himself he was crazy when Bella looked up at the same time he did. Their eyes met. They were a mirror of what he felt, and his lips tugged up of their own volition just as she smiled shyly, if a little uncertainly, back at him.

Edward was suddenly certain that he wasn't the only one who felt the change in the air.

**~0~**

After Esme had left, there was an awkward moment of silence where both Edward and Bella lingered in the doorway. Bella couldn't speak for him, but she hadn't been ready to retreat, as they had since they'd gotten home from Las Vegas, to two separate rooms.

So when he'd asked her if she wanted to watch a movie, she'd readily agreed.

What they were watching, Bella couldn't have said. She'd been perched on the couch, her legs drawn up close to her chest, almost since Edward had started the movie - a video on demand rental.

Since then, she'd been thinking about everything and nothing. Which was to say, every time she started to think about anything, her thoughts would melt away, typically wandering back to how it felt earlier at the dinner table when he'd wrapped his arm around her waist.

When he looked into her eyes, his expression gentle and his teasing intimate, she'd felt for the space of a single breath that all was right in the world. She'd felt the way every pregnant woman ought to feel: cherished and safe.

For a couple of heartbeats she let herself believe the lie, and a huge burden had lifted from her shoulders, allowing her to breathe for the first time in over a week.

So though there was so much else to think about, her life and her baby's life being one gigantic question mark, when Bella could focus her thoughts on actual words, she kept fixating on what Esme had said when they were hugging goodbye.

They'd been alone in the foyer for a minute as Edward had run upstairs to get a book he'd promised to lend his father. Esme had hugged Bella tightly and said, "Usually, leaving him here alone almost feels like abandoning him all over again. I'm so happy he has you now."

Being alone in the house, save for the housekeeper whom she had avoided, Bella knew how lonely the large space could get. It had only been one day she'd spent here alone, and even that was tempered by Esme's visit. Edward had been alone here for years.

The more she thought about it, the more she just didn't understand. How could a man like Edward have made it to his thirties without finding someone?

Once curiosity struck her, it was hard to shake. Bella tried to resist, not wanting to seem rude or nosy, but the answer to one question plagued her even more than usual.

"Edward?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

His answering, "Hmm?" was distracted, and when she glanced over, she saw he was staring sightlessly, as if he too were deep in thought rather than engrossed in the movie.

She bit her lip, again thinking that this was probably rude to ask. That didn't stop her, though. "You've really never had a girlfriend?"

The question definitely caught him off guard as he sucked in a breath, turning to look at her with a startled expression. He tilted his head, one side of his mouth quirking upward, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he concentrated on locating the remote control, switching the TV off.

Though he seemed calm, there was something definitively anxious in his eyes. Bella almost told him to forget it, wanting to apologize for asking such an intrusive question, but he answered before she could speak.

"Well, there was one girl," he began reluctantly.

Bella rested her head on her knees, turning her attention toward him.

"You must understand, college was a very... humbling experience for me," he said, as if he felt the need to qualify his story. "I'd been raised believing I was a king, or at least that I was as good as one, but at Cornell, I discovered I was … well, not much. People say going away to college is as much a time of self discovery as of higher education, and they'd be right. What no one tells you is that it's a very confusing time."

His expression was wistful, an old fondness in his eyes. "That was when I met Angela Weber. She and I were very alike in many ways, though I will tell you she is unquestionably sweeter than me."

"I doubt that," Bella muttered and ducked her head when she realized she'd spoken out loud.

Edward smiled. "Well, the thing we had most in common is that we were raised by ministers, and neither of us was uh... at all experienced to that point."

He shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable and sheepish, as if he had reason to be ashamed. "The long and short of it was... it was college. There was a lot of, er, sex being had, and we both felt... inadequate, perhaps is a good word for it. I suppose we felt somewhat unnatural."

"So you turned to each other," she surmised, filling in the blanks.

Edward nodded slowly. "Exactly. We were never really attracted to each other as more than just friends, but because of the way we were both raised, we thought we had to make a go of it."

Bella thought about the implication behind his words. "You mean you tried to have a relationship because you'd had sex?"

"I know it's not a modern notion," he said quietly. "It's just the way we were brought up. We were both feeling somewhat guilty that we didn't save ourselves for marriage."

For a moment, Bella was silent. His words struck her like a sickening blow right at her gut. Before, she'd gotten glimpses of his worldview, but it was beginning to hit her just how much he'd sacrificed on a personal level to marry her.

One thing she suddenly realized was that marriage was important to Edward, sacred. And regardless of how he might brush it off with logic, Bella was acutely aware how much it would hurt Edward to have a divorce under his belt.

Biting down hard on her lip, Bella forced herself back to the present. Edward was watching her, concern knitting his brows together.

She could wish all she wanted for things to be different - that she hadn't been so selfish that night in Vegas or, even better, that she'd been wise enough to tell the asshole who'd chased her away from her home to go to hell before any of this ever happened - but it wouldn't help her deal with reality.

"So, you tried," she prompted, reminding him of the conversation before he could turn his attention to her.

Edward nodded. "We did, but," he chuckled nervously. "We were just ridiculously bad together. We had nothing to talk about besides how much we were coming to resent our father figures - which, you know, is just an inevitable part of being away from home for the first time," he excused quickly.

Bella chuffed. "From what I heard, I think your resentment is perfectly valid, college or not."

"In any event. We tried, but we made each other miserable. We conceded that there were worse sins in the world than having lost our virginity to a friend and left it at that," he finished succinctly. "Since then, there have been... Well, we all have our moments of weakness."

She wanted to ask but felt like she'd been rude enough for the time being. From what she knew of Edward, these weak moments he was referring to were probably just instances where he succumbed to his loneliness, giving in to the comfort of another person's body, their skin against his.

Bella could understand that, and he probably hadn't been nearly as idiotic as she had.

"So, what about you?" She raised her head to find he was looking at her, his eyes wandering her face and body in a way that made her feel like smiling. "I bet you had plenty of boyfriends."

She ran her hands through her hair, bashful, but her lips lifted at the corners. "Not really. Just the one." She unwound herself, letting her bare feet touch the carpet, stretching in her seat. "It's completely cliché, actually. He asked me out, we dated, we kissed, and we held hands in the hallways at school." Her eyes darted to his, her cheeks tinting. "We even had the uh... obligatory prom night."

All things considered, though that night hadn't been spectacular, Bella was somewhat glad that the baby's crazy father hadn't been her first. Mike was not special, but he'd been sweet. When she remembered his clumsy touch on her body, she didn't feel sickened the way she did when she remembered the one night she spent with...  _him_.

Bella shrugged, sitting up a little straighter on the couch. "It was a nice but shallow relationship. I got to the point where I realized, I was just staying because it was something to do." She looked up at him with a small smile. "I didn't really know what I wanted in a relationship - I still don't know, really. It just..."

"You wanted more than that?" Edward inserted.

"I did," she agreed. With a sigh, she felt her smile falter, the darker thoughts that had been briefly chased away by the new warmth in the air between them returning with a vengeance. It struck her that she wasn't going to ever get to think about things like that - her relationships - in terms of only what she wanted. Her life wasn't her own anymore.

"Mike went back to California, where his mother lives, for school," she said, speaking out loud more to fill the silence than anything. She didn't want to get overwhelmed by her quickly meandering thoughts. "His dad owns the store I work... worked at."

The way Edward looked at her, Bella was almost certain he was going to press her about what was bothering her. She knew her anxiety had to be written on her face, and he was annoyingly observant.

"What kind of store did you work at?" he asked instead.

"Newton's Outfitters is an outdoor recreation supply store. It's the biggest store in Forks," she explained. "I started to work there part-time in high school and continued on while I went to the local community college until..." Her smile faltered, and she looked down at her hands. "I was supposed to go on to a University, after I finished my AA, but things didn't work that way."

"How did they work?" he prompted quietly.

"What little money was saved had to be used to cover Dad's funeral cost," she said in a shaky voice. "I started to go back to the community college this last semester, but I was working full time at the store by then, so I could only take a few classes."

"What were you planning on majoring in?"

She looked a little sheepish. "Really, I hadn't decided. I've had a pipe dream since I was little," she hedged. "I wasn't really going to do it, but I thought about being an interior designer."

"I'm not sure I understand why that's a pipe dream," Edward said, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"I don't know. It seems a little," she paused a moment, thinking, "fanciful, I guess?" She blew out a slow breath. "Like maybe I should be thinking about something a little more tangible - business or something like that."

"Interior design is as valid a career choice as any and not as abstract as say, being an artist or something to that effect," he pointed out. "It's a good field that will allow you a creative outlet."

She thought about that, wanting to refute it automatically but finding no grounds. "I guess you're right. It's a little easier to consider it in a bigger city. In Forks it wouldn't have been an option, unless I didn't want to make a living."

"It's funny," he said slowly after a moment. "I had the impression you didn't want to stay in Forks."

"Oh, I didn't," she said, startled at the conclusion he'd arrived at. Running her hands through her hair, she gave a short, humorless laugh. "It's been a really long time since I've thought about things like this, about any kind of future," she admitted quietly. "Really, I think I've been living one day to the next, just keeping my head above water since my dad died. All of those plans... they seem like they belong to a girl that doesn't exist anymore."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to barburella, jfka06, and GinnyW. Speaking of GinnyW - she's reposting Coming to Terms over on her profile. If you haven't read it, now's the time! It's my favorite fandom preggo story.


	8. Sometimes You Find You Get What You Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Seriously. You guys make me so happy. I'm very sorry about my lack of review replies, especially right now as I expect this chapter will push the story over 1k reviews... which is nuts. Just nuts.
> 
> So thank you for all your kind words and for caring about these two.

It was a dream. Bella knew it was a dream, but she felt entirely too weary to figure out how to wake from it.

She knew she was dreaming because this dream was built out of mostly memories. It had happened already.

It was a dream and it was about to become a nightmare of her own design.

Her father's birthday had hit her hard.

Charlie had died a mere five days before his fortieth birthday. Instead of the celebration Bella and Renee had planned, they'd had a funeral.

A year had passed, and while every day was a struggle to cope with her loss, Charlie's birthday was absolute agony. She missed her father too much to push it aside that day. Glad that her mother had chosen to go see friends in Phoenix for the week, Bella called in sick to work and let the misery have her.

In reality, she hated other people seeing her cry. Throughout the funeral and the time after that, when people would squeeze her shoulder or look on her with pitying eyes, Bella wouldn't let herself cry in front of them. She didn't want their sympathy. She had to be strong for her mother. A year before, she'd kept her tears private.

After a year, she'd realized how much her father's quiet presence had meant to her. Bella had always been something of a loner, but Charlie was at least... there. Maybe they hadn't had heart to heart talks, but his just being around was a comfort she didn't know she had until it was gone. Oh, it was true, Renee was there, but she was, in her own way, also very absent.

In the wake of her father's death, loneliness was getting the better of Bella. That day, as she cried quietly in the silent house, she just wished for someone. She remembered it was nice, when she was with Mike, when he did simple things like hold her hand or touch her cheek.

She needed a little physical affection. Just a hug. Or a cuddle.

By the time  _he'd_ come by, she was mostly calm, just sitting on the couch, feeling sad. For one second, when she heard the heavy clomp of his boots on the porch, she could almost imagine it was her father coming home. And when she opened the door, greeted first by the sight of his police uniform, her heart stuttered.

"Hey," he'd greeted, his voice tender. "I came to see how you're doing."

He brushed by her, entering the house without asking her permission. He never asked her permission, but today, she was too tired to call him on it.

They went to the couch, sitting down, and he looked at her, his expression sad. "I miss him too, you know," he said, his tone sincere.

That was all it took. Her lower lip crumpled, and she started to cry again before she could stop herself. When he put his arms around her, she turned, settling her head against his shoulder.

For a minute, it was exactly what she needed. He held her tightly, and the way his badge and equipment laden belt pressed into her was familiar. She remembered hugging her father this way when she was small.

Then he'd begun to kiss her forehead, along her hairline. She hadn't stopped him immediately, clinging to the comfort his arms offered, but as he kissed across her cheek and at the corner of her mouth, she'd sighed. "Please don't. Not today. Please." All she wanted was to be warm for once on this bleak, desolate day. She didn't want him to ruin it with his persistence, making her have to push him away.

"Shhhh," he soothed. "I just want to make you feel good. That's all. I just want you to feel better." He'd resumed kissing her nose, her cheeks, with tiny, sweet kisses. "Let me help you feel good."

He wiped away her tears and slowly, so slowly, kissed her lips.

It was better than bad. It wasn't what she wanted, but it was... nice. It didn't feel like grief, at least.

She let him kiss her because she didn't want to be alone, she didn't have the energy to fight his advances.

This wasn't bad, she told herself. It was nice to be held, nice to be kissed, nice to be wanted. She felt warmer, wrapped in his arms, than she had all day... all week... all year, really. Would it really be so horrible to forget?

People did that - used sex to forget. Used sex for the simple pleasure of it. Used sex to feel good.

And she understood that was what he was heading toward. She wasn't stupid. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that the more he kissed her, the more his body began to dominate hers, pushing her back against the cushions of the couch. His hands moved to more suggestive places, their intent obvious.

When he stood, pulling her with him and unbuckling his heavy belt, she'd taken the moment to breathe and warn him. "This doesn't mean anything."

She should have been disturbed about the way he smirked at her. "Shhh," he said, kissing her again.

"I just... I want..."

"I know what you want," he asserted, pulling her shirt up and off. He wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her up the stairs.

That was when the dream turned into a nightmare. The actual act had not been violent, of course. He'd been the dominant partner in bed, but she'd wanted to be led - that was half the point. She didn't want to think. In her dream, though, when he got to her bedroom, his actions changed drastically.

In her dream, his hands wrapped around her wrists, his grip punishing as it had been  _that_ day - the day she ran. She'd started to struggle and then started to scream. He let go of her wrists, clapping his hand hard over her mouth, pressing her down into the bed.

"You're mine, do you understand that?" he growled, his voice no longer gentle but hard and angry. "You're mine, and this-" he pressed down on her suddenly grotesquely swollen stomach, "is mine. Do you think you can take what's mine away from me?"

She screamed and thrashed, trying to get away, but his friend had appeared out of no where, holding her arms above her head. Their eyes were cold and malevolent. She knew absolutely that they were going to hurt her, but she couldn't escape them. They had her pinned, restrained. Her stomach roiled sickeningly.

Gasping for air, Bella sat up straight in her bed, coming out of her nightmare in that topsy-turvy, surreal, not-quite-conscious state. She was terrified, struggling to throw off the blankets that confined her, and she stumbled, falling out of bed and onto the cold, wood floor.

It took her a second to realize that the churning in her stomach was real, and she was about to be sick. Stumbling on shaking legs, she only barely made it to the toilet before she heaved.

Bella dealt with most every regular illness in stride, not complaining about stuffy noses and sore throats. Being sick to her stomach, however, had always made her feel just a touch sorry for herself. Now, being thrown out of a horrible nightmare, the feeling was ten times worse.

She was also positive the pregnancy hormones weren't helping.

Resting her head on the seat, Bella tried to breathe, tried not to cry into her folded arms. She failed, feeling absolutely miserable. She was shaking hard, both with draining adrenaline and weakness from heaving her guts out. It had also been unseasonably cold that week, so she was shivering on top of shaking.

In the silence of the middle of the night, it was difficult to stave off the despair that threatened to overwhelm her. In the day, Bella could almost deal with what had happened to her. It had been two weeks since she ran from Alec and James. It had been a week since she'd found Edward. In the light, she could almost believe things would be okay, that she could get back on her feet and make a life for herself and her baby.

In the unforgiving darkness of the night she felt far from alright. Fresh from her memory-nightmare, she felt so dumb. In retrospect, she saw every wrong move she'd made. She shouldn't have let him walk into her house like he owned it. She shouldn't have let him believe that he owned her. She'd accepted him into her body, trusted him with herself at her most vulnerable state, and he'd turned into the monster she should have known he was.

Bella let one trembling hand drift to her midsection, giving a sharp, short cry.

One slip, one mistake, and she was irrevocably altered. She carried him inside her still, and in that moment, it only made her feel sick and violated. How could she have been so careless?

A soft knock on the bathroom door made her start, breaking the oppressive haze that had settled over her, bringing her back to the present. "Bella?"

Of course it was Edward. Bella bit the inside of her cheek, furiously wiping away tears. She glanced up, seeing the bathroom door was cracked open. He wasn't looking in, but he was standing right outside. She sniffled, frustrated that she was crying in front of him again. "I'm fine," she called, but her voice wavered so much, no one could have believed her.

Edward said nothing, but he didn't go away. Knowing she needed to pull herself back together, Bella grabbed the edge of the counter, hauling herself up on trembling legs. She splashed cool water on her face and brushed her teeth before she summoned the strength to face him.

"It's just morning sickness," she tried, wrapping her arms around her torso, shivering in the cold air. "I just got a little emotional. That's all. That's normal, right?" She attempted a weak smile.

Whether or not he believed her, he didn't call her on it. "I thought you were over that," he said instead, his tone sympathetic. His soft eyes studied her carefully, and he reached out slowly, taking her hand. He led her back to bed, tucking the covers around her and sitting carefully on the edge.

"Can I do something for you? Do you need water? That awful tea I've seen you drink?" he asked, smoothing a damp lock of hair away from her face.

He was so unbearably sweet it made her ache. Bella shivered again, pulling the blankets tighter around her. With a somewhat desperate laugh, she realized what she wanted most - what she'd wanted since her father's birthday some weeks before.

What Edward had given her once already, though he didn't remember it.

After everything she'd put him through, she knew she had no right to ask. She knew she was being selfish and needy.

He must have seen her hesitation because he cupped her cheek gently. "Just tell me what you need, Bella. It's okay."

Bella bit her lip. "Will you hold me again? Like you did that first night?" she asked in a small, tired voice. "I just... I want to be warm."

Maybe it was foolish. After all, that was what she'd wanted from  _him_ , and he'd taken much more. She'd trusted him that far and further, and he'd betrayed that trust terribly.

But she felt safe with Edward. It felt... different.

He didn't even hesitate. He just moved around the bed and laid down behind her, over the covers, and wrapped himself around her. The way his body enveloped hers, Bella was able to find a calmer center, could literally feel her unsteady world stop the dizzying tailspin she'd fallen into.

His arm was low around her, his hand against her stomach, like he was protecting her baby right along with her.

 _Why couldn't it have been you_? she thought with quiet desperation. If she had to make a mistake, why couldn't it have been with someone sweet, kind... not delusional?

Quickly, she shook that thought away, concentrating instead on matching his slow, deep breaths. There was a comfort inherent in the way she could feel his chest rise and fall against her back.

Slowly, she began to relax, and her hand drifted to his arm.

It was covered in gooseflesh.

Of course. It was chilly and he, as usual, wasn't wearing a shirt.

"You can get under the blankets. You  _should_ get under the blankets," she blurted shyly. What she really should do was tell him to go back to bed - his bed - but she was too selfish. She wasn't ready to give up his warmth yet.

"Are you sure that's okay?" he asked, his voice low and soft against her ear. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Bella nodded. "It's cold. Get under the blankets before you catch your death."

He chuckled. "Yes, Mother."

She stayed relatively still, not turning to face him, as the bed shifted. He lifted the blankets and settled in again behind her, his warmth magnified now that there was only the barrier of her nightshirt between them. She was glad she was facing away from him because the touch was infinitely more intimate now, the way his hand cupped her belly possessive, but not in the bad way. Not like _him_.

Bella let her hands find his again. She idly began to twist the ring on his right hand, the ring that symbolized their false commitment to each other, around and around his finger, thinking of everything and nothing.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness again, she almost laughed, realizing she was staring at the room's fireplace. He just as easily could have lit the thing to keep her warm. It might have been more logical, anyway.

"What is it?" he asked, his low, sleepy voice vibrating pleasantly against her skin.

"There's a fireplace in every room," she observed.

Edward nodded. "This house was built shortly after The Great Fire. No heating back then, so every room had to be equipped with a fireplace. Sometimes I prefer it in the winter instead of running the heater."

"Well, it's a little more green," Bella mused. "It would waste a lot of energy to heat this whole place just for you."

"I never thought of it that way."

"I'm sorry," Bella said quickly. "I didn't mean to offend or anything."

"No." He yawned. "The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business." His words were slurred with sleep.

"Hmm," she hummed in agreement, her thoughts getting blurry around the edges.

Feeling safe and warm, Bella fell asleep in his arms.

**~0~**

Bella woke first in the morning, coming awake slowly, her thoughts weighed down by sleep. She felt overheated, her skin clammy under her night clothes, and it took her a moment to realize why.

Edward was still wrapped around her. His hold on her was slack, but her back was still pressed against him. She could feel his chest rise and fall, and the heat of his breath on her shoulder.

It took a few minutes to realize that the heaviness that usually weighed on her, squeezing her heart, was missing. For just those few minutes as she woke, she felt a great peace. There was no sadness hanging over her, nor fear. She was safe, warm, protected.

How extraordinary - how absolutely right it felt, almost as if she'd awaken to find the lie she'd perpetuated was fact.

How nice it would be to believe in beautiful dreams.

But, as sleep released its hold on her, Bella had to remember and accept what was.

The reality wasn't nearly so pretty. She'd spent the last week in something of a haze, trying to process all the changes in her life. Part of her still wanted to believe it wasn't happening: that she hadn't run away from the only home she'd ever known; that she wasn't pregnant by a man who would hurt her; that she wasn't taking advantage of another man's time, home, and seemingly endless kindness.

Moving carefully, Bella extricated herself from Edward's loose hold and slipped out of bed. Deep in thought, she wandered downstairs.

Because it was obvious Edward didn't know what he had, Bella had devoted one entire day to taking everything out of every single one of his cupboards and putting it back, arranged so that everything had its rightful place. That was how she knew he owned a juicer. The dish at the center of his kitchen table was brimming with oranges - which Leah had told her were mostly for decoration.

Settling at the kitchen table, she began to halve and juice the oranges, zoning out to her own thoughts.

There wasn't much she could do about what was already done. She had to live with the fact she'd let him marry her. What she could do was pick herself up, dust herself off, and get on with her life. She needed to stop being a burden, stop this constant take, take, take.

Besides, she had to face the fact that she couldn't be a kid anymore, barely scraping by. She had to support herself and her baby. That was a priority.

It was an overwhelming prospect, but it could be done. Many others had been where she was - worse, in many situations, since they didn't have a benefactor like Edward.

Either way she sliced it, the first object on her agenda was clear. She needed a job.

"If you grind that orange any more, you're going to have rind juice."

Bella jumped. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Edward come into the kitchen. His voice had come from behind her, and she twisted in her seat, finding he was at her back, his hands resting on her chair. His eyes were hooded with sleepiness, and he was still shirtless.

His nearness - particularly the nearness of his pleasingly muscular chest and arms - was distracting. She blinked at him, setting the over juiced orange half to the side. "Good morning," she said, feeling oddly shy.

It wasn't the first night they'd spent in bed together after all.

His smile was rather impish - playful. "Good morning," he said quietly, moving around from behind her to take the seat her side.

"Orange juice?"

"Freshly squeezed. You do spoil me, Bella."

"Ha!" She shook her head, amused at how he could possibly think that after a few meals. Standing, she retrieved two glasses and poured out the juice, setting one in front of him.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

Bella narrowed her eyes. If he thought she missed how his lips had tightened into a grimace for a second before he hid his reaction, he was greatly mistaken. "You don't like pulp, do you?" she guessed.

He opened his mouth, clearly about to deny her claim, and then laughed lightly when she fixed him with a glare of warning. "No, I don't. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry about your tastes," she said rolling her eyes. She stood again, retrieving a third glass and a strainer.

"When did you do all that?" Edward asked, gesturing to the cabinets as he watched her transfer the juice from one glass to the other, straining the pulp out.

"I've had plenty of time this last week," she said quietly, putting his new glass in front of him. She dumped the excess pulp into her own glass before she sat beside him again. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Edward cocked his head, and for a moment Bella was distracted, watching the way his Adams apple bobbed as he drank.

"I, um..." she stumbled. "I wondered. I haven't seen it, but I thought maybe you picked it up in the morning. Do you have the newspaper delivered?"

"No, actually. Why do you ask?"

Bella made a face, mentally adjusting her plan. "Do you have a home phone?"

"No. Just my cell phone." He looked very confused at that point.

"You're not making this easy," she teased lightly. "It's time for me to find work. I just need a way for people to call me back, I think. Although..." she trailed off, tapping her chin. "I'm sure I could get hired on the spot somewhere, right? Maybe a fast food place? Then I could use my first paycheck to get a cell phone."

"Bella," Edward sighed. She looked up, surprised to find he looked displeased.. "I've been putting off having this conversation because I didn't want you to be afraid," he conceded finally. "But, have you considered that your, uh... friends might come after you?"

Bella's set her glass of orange juice down so hard, the liquid splashed and almost spilled. It was difficult to force down the swallow.

It was, of course, something she had considered. Those first few days, when she ran, she'd checked the rearview mirror constantly, fully expecting him to be there.

By the time she'd arrived in Vegas, Bella had convinced herself that he would stay in Forks. He had responsibilities there, and despite the fact he talked all the time of leaving, Bella knew Forks was his comfort zone.

With the blinders ripped off her eyes, she understood that his mind had warped their relationship. She was his, as far as he was concerned. It wasn't that she thought he was powerless. If that was the case, she never would have found herself in Vegas, knowing she couldn't go home.

"He has ties in Forks," she said out loud.

"And his friend?" he asked quietly.

Bella looked down at the tabletop, her breath suddenly labored. No. His friend had no such ties.

"Hey, it's okay," Edward said quickly, reaching out to touch her arm. "You're safe here. This neighborhood has an amazing security team."

Forcing herself to breathe through her panic, Bella flipped her hand, threading their fingers together together and squeezing tightly. He said nothing but let her squeeze his hand too hard, stroking his thumb over her tense knuckles.

"I can't hide here forever," she said when she thought her voice would hold steady.

"I know that," he assured, his voice still gentle. "There's no rush, Bella. If you need more time to-"

"I've taken enough time," she said firmly. "I can't stay still anymore. I can't let you keep taking care of me. You've waited a week while I got my head on straight. That's long enough for me to do nothing."

Edward studied her for a long moment before he nodded. "Okay. We'll work something out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Meep, meep, meep. Thanks so much to barburella and ginnyw. And again, thank you to all of you. Your response to this fic is just wonderful.


	9. The Mall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some clarification. Edward isn't worried about Bella having a job. He's worried that if she's going to a job, Alec and James can get to her. She's protected at the house - good security - but if she had a job, she would be out and about without protection. He just needs to make sure she's aware that they may be... around.
> 
> And for the record - she DID change her name when she got married. She is Bella Cullen.

"Bella, you are making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be." Edward watched the stubborn set of her jaw and knew she wasn't going to give in easily. "There's no need for you to get a plan of your own. It's more cost effective to simply add you to my plan."

"Cost effective for me, maybe," Bella argued. "I want to take over payments as soon as I have a steady income. If I'm under your plan, you're still paying the bulk - I'd just be responsible for what? The $10 fee?"

Edward shook his head. "I want to get you a smart phone. The data package is extra for that." He held up his hand in a placating gesture before she could protest. "I know you'll say it's unnecessary, but I want you to have data options - GPS, that sort of thing."

She gave a little growl that had him struggling not to laugh. "Fine. I'll pay for the excess then."

"Agreed," Edward said with a nod. "But I'm buying you the phone." He put a finger to her lips, stilling her arguments. "It's a gift. I haven't yet given you a gift. I get at least one, don't I?"

Frowning, she held up her left hand so her ring finger was on prominent display. She raised both eyebrows as if to say, 'then what do you call this?'

Edward fought a scowl. Their rings - which he had absolutely refused to let Bella pay for - were points of great contention for him. "I've told you before: these don't count. It's the principle of the thing. Sober, I would have bought something at a better quality. In fact, it's quite out of character for me not to have replaced these already."

"Don't start," she cautioned, jabbing him lightly in the chest with her finger.

Smiling, Edward closed his hand over hers against his heart. It was such an automatic reaction, he didn't fully realize the intimacy of the gesture until he'd already done it. Perhaps he should have let her go, but he realized suddenly that he didn't want to, and she wasn't trying to pull her hand back.

Wrapping his fingers around hers more tightly, he lifted his free hand, skimming her cheek. He really couldn't tell whose breath stuttered - his or hers - but he knew with certainty that he wanted to kiss her. He'd married her and slept beside her... and now he wanted to know what it felt like for her lips to move with his.

"Hello, folks. How can I help you today?"

They both jumped back, startled by the appearance of one of the sales associates who had been busy before. Edward chuckled, the sound thin and nervous, as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to remember what it was he was supposed to be doing. "Yes. I'd like to add a line to my plan."

**~0~**

After they sorted out the cell phone situation, they met Edward's brothers and their significant others for lunch. Bella was surprised when they ended up at the mall's food court.

Faced with two pre-teen boys who were always hungry and rarely agreed, Carlisle and Esme had occasionally treated Jasper and Emmett to food at the mall. It was a novel idea that Bella could get behind. The food court was cheap and there was a variety so everyone could get exactly what they wanted.

When Edward told the story, Bella noticed his wistful expression. It was no wonder he readily agreed to the meeting place even though she knew damn well he didn't like much of the food. She'd noticed how some of the traditions that the other men took for granted meant a lot to Edward.

As they sat down for lunch - the six of them choosing food from four different places - Bella's new phone was a popular topic. Edward had shooed her away when he was buying the thing, so she had no idea how much he'd spent. Judging from how many doohickeys the boys went over, Bella thought the answer might be a lot.

"Give it here," Alice exclaimed finally, grabbing the phone from Emmett's hand. "It's her phone, not yours."

But rather than hand it over, Alice began pressing buttons. "You two!" she commanded, snapping her fingers and pointing to Edward and Bella. "Show me the love." She held the phone away from her, hand poised.

It took Bella a moment to figure out she wanted to take a picture. More specifically, she wanted to take a picture of her with Edward. It was reasonable to think that Bella might want a picture of herself with her husband.

Suddenly nervous, Bella looked over at Edward uncertainly. He gave her an apologetic smile, but lifted his arm as she scooted toward him.

Despite her frazzled nerves, it felt almost natural to put her arms around him, resting her head lightly on his chest as he curled her closer to him.

It was like earlier that day, when they'd been buying her phone. There was a moment when she found herself closer to him than she expected to be. There was a warmth to the air - a heat that was comforting and titillating all at once. That morning, she got the odd feeling that he wanted to kiss her.

Then, as now, it wasn't a matter of keeping up an act, a false pretense. She slipped, for one moment, and forgot she was an interloper in a life that didn't belong to her. As his arm tightened around her and she felt his nose nuzzle her hair, it seemed like she was in the right place and time.

Alice looked at the result with a satisfied sigh, clicking a few more buttons before she handed the phone back to Bella. When Bella looked, she saw that Alice had made the new picture her background.

Bella's breath caught, her stomach fluttering. It was a beautiful picture of a couple she didn't recognize. She looked bashful but happy, tucked under his arm. His eyes and smile matched, and the way he looked down on her, his expression seemed to indicate she was precious to him.

Looking up, Bella found Edward's eyes on her. They held for a beat before they both untangled themselves from one another, quietly turning their attention to their plates.

"Bro, while we're all here, we should go take a look at tents," Emmett said in between huge mouthfuls of the Mongolian BBQ he'd bought. "Are we going to get two tents to fit the four of us? We could get one of those huge motherfuckers instead."

"Tents?" Edward echoed, furrowing his eyebrows.

Emmett frowned. "For the camping trip? Remember? It's only a month away." He glanced at Bella and back at his brother. "Or has something changed?"

"You're going camping?" Bella asked, pressing her lips together to keep the smile from her face.

Edward saw and tilted his head at her. "Emmett, Jasper, Dad, and I, had planned to. What's so funny?"

"You just don't strike me as much of a camper," she teased lightly.

"That's what I'm looking forward to!" Emmett said jovially. "I want to see the crowned Prince of Chicago catch a fish." He looked at his brother with a grin. "You know you're going to have to gut it yourself, right?"

Jasper scoffed, elbowing Edward in the side. "Don't worry about that, Edward. You'd have to catch one first. I think you better stock up on the jerky."

Seeing Edward's features tighten, Bella immediately regretted teasing him. She wondered again at the way his brothers acted toward him.

But Edward came back easy enough. "Don't count on it." He leaned back in his chair, and Bella almost jumped when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "See, I have a secret weapon. Bella's father just happened to be a champion fisherperson, and he taught her everything he knew." He looked at her, smiling widely. "You'll teach me all your secrets, yes?"

Bella tempered her laughter, nodding with mock seriousness. "Consider it done."

"But it's still boys only, right?" Emmett asked, again side-eyeing Bella.

"Camping is not my thing," Bella answered, waving a hand.

"As for the tents, it will have to wait," Edward continued, dropping his hand back to his side and resuming picking at his lunch. "Bella and I still have a few places to go to."

"Like where?" Alice asked.

"I just need an outfit. Something nice I can wear to interviews," Bella said quietly.

"You're getting a job?" Rosalie - who hadn't acknowledged Bella at all except to nod a greeting - interjected.

Bella didn't answer right away, trying not to feel defensive right off the bat. She reminded herself that they all had every right to be suspicious. "Yes. I have no intention of being a housewife," she affirmed, hoping perhaps that would help to dispel any thought that she just wanted to be lazy, mooching off of Edward's money.

"And you're taking  _Edward_ as a shopping partner?" Alice snorted. "Oh, honey, no. Edward, why don't you and the boys head down to look at your tents or whatever. Rose and I will take care of Bella. Won't we, Rose?"

The other woman looked less than pleased, but she nodded. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."

Alice gave her a pointed look but otherwise ignored her, looking to Edward and Bella. "What do you say? It'll be fun."

On the one hand, Bella was more than a little nervous at the prospect of being alone with Alice and especially Rosalie. On the other hand, she didn't see why Edward should be subjected to wandering through women's clothing stores. It was nice that he was planning a get away with his brothers and father. She didn't want to interfere with that. "That's fine with me."

"Are you sure?" Edward asked, looking at her carefully.

Bella had to smile, knowing that if she gave him the right look, he would make any excuse he needed to get her out of going with the other women. "I'll be fine," she assured.

**~0~**

Bella had never been a big fan of shopping. She was trying to be appreciative - the women didn't need to go out of their way to include her - but it was difficult to be patient.

"I don't need a dress, Alice," Bella insisted, trying to sound firm. "One, maybe two nice slacks and a couple of nice shirts should be all I need."

"Do you own a nice dress?" Alice challenged.

"No," Bella admitted. Back in Forks, she had a skirt, but she hadn't owned a dress since she'd gone to the prom with Mike a couple of years previous. She couldn't recall if she'd ever owned a more casual dress. "But I don-"

"Did Edward tell you that there's a luncheon on the third weekend of August?" Alice challenged.

Bella shook her head, biting her lip.

"Well, they have a summer get together every year. I know this because last year, he took me," Alice said with a smile. "I'm studying business law, you see, and it doesn't hurt to have contacts."

"Then you should go again. I don't mind," Bella rushed to assure her.

Alice actually laughed. "Edward would mind. And you  _should_ mind. No one else should be at that party at his side. That's your place."

"I'm just not a party person," Bella murmured, feeling self conscious.

"It's a really nice party. Very tame," Alice assured, holding a long, pretty spring dress up against Bella.

"Lame is a better word," Rosalie said scathingly. "All of those assholes are so impressed with themselves."

"Rose," Alice warned warily. Rosalie crossed her arms but was silent. "They're not that bad. Honestly, their cousin and his wife are the worst. Felix is more of a braggart than anything. He's very full of himself. Jane on the other hand..."

"She's a bitch," Rosalie said flatly.

A few minutes later, Bella emerged from her dressing room to find that Alice had disappeared. She cleared her throat, feeling as intimidated by Rosalie as she had been initially by her oversized fiancée. "There are buttons on the back of this dress Alice wanted me to try," she explained, trying not to feel so self-conscious. She squared her shoulders, standing tall under Rosalie's cool, calculating stare.

The blond woman stepped up behind her, helping her slowly.

"So I couldn't help but notice, you're wearing the same thing you were wearing the day we met," she observed, her tone neutral.

"Oh. That's a coincidence," Bella lied. She didn't own very many changes of clothes at all. Fleeing suddenly had that effect.

"So I'm just curious. You said your mother lives in Washington."

"That's right."

"So presumably, you lived on your own in Las Vegas."

Bella looked into the mirror, catching the other woman's eye, nervous and more than a little irritated about where she was being led. "I had a roommate."

"So you did have your own place, and yet you came here with nothing."

"How do you know what I came here with?" Bella challenged.

Finished with her task, Rosalie stepped away. "Deductive reasoning. You didn't get on a plane with enough things to move across the country."

"I didn't own anything I couldn't stand to leave behind."

"I guess not," Rosalie said, scoffing. "Edward could replace anything you owned easily enough."

Bella bristled. "Look, I don't know what you're trying to get at-"

"Yes, you do," the other woman countered, crossing her arms. "Even if you are as innocent as you're trying to appear, you'd be stupid to believe we could all trust you right off the bat."

For a moment, Bella was silent. She stared down at her feet, trying not to let her irritation get the better of her.

"Well, let me not beat around the bush," Rosalie continued. "Something doesn't make sense here."

"This isn't a difficult story to understand," Bella said evenly. "We met, we enjoyed each others company, we," she swallowed hard, "got a little foolish. We got married."

Rosalie starred, her gaze calculating. "Funny. You never said anything about love."

Bella turned away, ready to go back into the dressing room, but the other woman caught her by the arm. "Look - it's not like Edward to carry on a booty-call type relationship. If he did it, it's not like him - he's so g'damn meticulous - I can't believe he would be so careless as to knock you up. But okay, that can happen to anyone, right? But why marry him? You don't love him. He would have supported the baby no matter if you married him or not. It's not like him, so yeah, I don't trust you. Something doesn't add up."

The two women stared at each other for a hard beat. "I would never hurt him," Bella finally said. It was the truth as simple as she could make it.

Rosalie let go of her arm. "I really hope that's true."

**~0~**

As they bade goodbye to the others, Edward slipped his hand into hers. Bella tried not to smile, tried reminding herself that he was just playing his role in front of his siblings, but she couldn't help the little rush of pleasure she felt when he held her hand.

So she noticed when he didn't let go when they were out of eyesight.

"Did you have a good time today?" he asked quietly.

Bella snickered. "I don't know if I could ever put shopping and good time in a sentence together, but it wasn't bad, really. Alice is really nice."

He pursed his lips, tilting his head at her and raising an eyebrow. "And Rosalie?"

She bit her lip. "Well, she's got your back. I can't really fault her for that."

"Did she-"

"She didn't say anything that the rest of your family shouldn't be thinking," Bella assured. She looked down at their joined hands, smiling slightly. "I told her I didn't want to hurt you."

He stopped, putting two fingers under her chin and tilting her face up to look at him. "You're not hurting me," he said quietly. "You know that, right?"

She blew out a breath, but nodded. He held her gaze for a moment, as if gauging if she was lying.

Apparently satisfied, he reached into his pocket, releasing her hand. "I have something for you."

"Oh, Edward," she groaned. "Not again. It's bad enough that I had to borrow money for the things I bought today. I don't need anything else."

"Humor me on this," he said with a gentle smile, holding up a cylindrical tube. "All things considered, you should have no reason to use it, but I'll feel more comfortable if you have it."

Bella took the tube, realizing instantly what it was. To her frustration, tears pricked at her eyes, and she looked down quickly, trying to hide them.

"Bella... are you crying?" Edward asked, sounding horrified.

"Ugh. Yes. But it's not..." She huffed. "It's hormones, that's all. It's... This sounds stupid, but pepper spray reminds me of my dad," she explained, wiping at her eyes. "He um... He always made sure I had some." She sniffled, laughing through her tears. "When I went to prom, he put one in the stupid little purse I had."

Edward laughed lightly with her. "Yeah, I don't blame him. It's a dad's job to look out for his pretty daughter." He brushed her wet cheek with the back of his hand, the movement tender, and Bella felt her skin warm where his fingers touched.

"Did you... Did you find a tent?" Bella stumbled, feeling awkward and all too aware of how close he was standing.

"We found a tent, yes," Edward said, beginning to walk again. He kept his hands to himself this time. "I'm unsure about going, though," he began.

Bella sucked in a breath. "The reason better not be about me."

He paused at his car, opening the passenger side door for her to get in.

"I'm just not sure about leaving you alone," he said as he got in the car.

"Look... Al-" She closed her eyes, willing down the irrational terror she felt when she even thought of him and his friend. "One of them is on parole - he can't leave the state. The other has his sister, his responsibilities tying him to Forks. They're not going to come after me." She tried to smile, waving the tube he'd given her. "And besides, I have my pepper spray. I can handle them."

His answering smile was wane. "Well, that's certainly a point, but it's not my only concern." He started the car, tilting his head at her. "They couldn't argue, you know. My brothers and my father would understand if I didn't want to leave my pregnant wife home alone."

Bella shook her head emphatically. "You're not putting your life on hold for me," she said firmly. She smiled at him, tilting her head so he would know she was teasing when she spoke again. "Besides, you can't tell me you don't want to go. A camping trip with your family? The great outdoors? No electricity? Four guys who can't cook trying not to die of salmonella poisoning from frying up the day's catch?"

At that he did laugh, a smile breaking across his features. "You don't typically catch salmonella from fish."

"No? Well, the name is misleading then." Bella frowned. "What do you get when you eat bad fish?"

"Sick."

Bella laughed, and Edward clucked his tongue. "And here you're supposed to teach me all you know about fishing. Emmett and Jasper are going to win that bet."

"Well, yeah, that's a foregone conclusion. I told you my dad taught me all he knew about fishing, what I didn't tell you was that I didn't listen to a blessed word he said." Bella shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid you're screwed."

"Who knows. Maybe we'll go bear hunting instead," he said with a wink. He chuckled at her startled expression, grinning as he backed out of the parking spot and drove toward home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so much to GinnyW, barburella, and jfka06.
> 
> And all you pretty people. I can tell you that your frequently asked questions will be answered. In time.


	10. Boys Night Out, Girls Night In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all. Freally!

"Well? What do you think?"

Edward put down the plans he'd been studying and smiled.

His first instinct was to tell her she looked adorable - which she did. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She was wearing the bright orange vest that declared her new employer - Home Depot - in large letters over her jeans and green shirt. But after two weeks of searching and another two weeks of training, if Edward had learned one thing it was that Bella was proud of her new job. Adorable would be met with a scowl.

"Hmm," he hummed. "You give me this very manly urge."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "A manly urge?"

"Yes," he said gravely. "I have the urge to build something with my own hands," he said, demonstrating by holding his hands out in front of him. "I need a project. I need a woodworking bench in the garage."

Her eyes danced with amusement as she regarded him carefully. "I see. Well, sir, I think you should start off with a birdhouse."

"A birdhouse!" he protested.

"Yes," she said, nodding solemnly. "And if you don't injure yourself with a birdhouse, then we can talk about other projects."

"Birdhouses are for sissies and high school boys in their first shop class." He pretended to pout.

"Well, build the birdhouse first, and then we have some fine decals you can put on the side. Maybe one with skulls."

He laughed. "Skulls are ever so manly."

They grinned at each other for a moment before Edward let his smile fall. "Bella, are you sure this is what you want? It's not too late."

She quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm going to be late to work if we don't go soon," she said, rather than answer straight.

"Please don't be angry with me," he requested quietly. "I'm just concerned. It's tiring work, and you have Bean to carry around," he murmured, stepping closer to her and placing his hand over her belly. He imagined what she might look like in a few months, how the bright orange apron would strain away from her body as she got bigger. His back ached just thinking about it. "He might be small now, but later..."

"I'll be fine," she insisted and attempted a light smile. "I'm not some high born princess, Edward. People work through their pregnancies all the time. Why should I be any different?"

 _Because you're my wife_ , he thought but was wise enough not to say. His every instinct was to make things easier on her.

But, as always, Bella never made that task easy on him.

"I just think you could easily find a desk job," he began because he couldn't help himself.

She made a face that stopped his words cold. "I like this job. It's not like Newtons. It takes a little creativity."

He had to smile. "And you're much more interested in bath tiles than hiking boots," he finished for her.

"Well, yes."

He sighed. "Well, if I can't convince you, we better get you there on time."

They drove in companionable silence for a time, Edward deep in thought. When he glanced over, Bella was staring out the window, her hands cupped over the small swell of her stomach.

It had taken him a while to get her to open up about her pregnancy. She still wasn't sure how she felt about being a mother. The idea of having a baby terrified her. Up to that point, she'd been going through the motions. Her need to protect the baby was instinctual. Other than that, she did what the doctors told her to, concentrating more on getting the rest of her life together rather than thinking about the new life growing quickly in her womb.

When he heard her thrashing in her sleep, crying out quietly from her nightmares, and invaded the privacy of her room to wake her, she'd finally confessed that sometimes, she felt like the baby was tainted. It was  _his_ baby, and he had hurt her, would hurt her worse if he ever got his hands on her again.

After that, Edward tried his best to keep her grounded, to help her realize she wasn't alone in this pregnancy. He knew she read all the books he'd bought her to sate her curiosity. He knew she'd read everything about the baby's development - knew about how much it weighed, what was forming from week to week, how it grew. So in moments of quiet he would put his arms around her, put his hand on her belly, and ask her to tell him more about  _her_ baby. He tried to help her concentrate on all the amazing things her body was doing, creating this life, rather than let her dwell on how that life was sparked.

Marveling with her was no act. Edward had always found the idea of creating a life miraculous and fascinating. He had only seen his mother rarely when he was eight and ten - when she was pregnant with Emmett and Jasper - but those times when she was big bellied and she let him put his hand to where the baby was moving inside her had been emblazoned in his memory. As a young boy, he'd thought it was weird but also cool and he'd never forgotten. As a grown man, it was a wonder.

Slowly, Bella was beginning to see past all her fears. She'd begun to bond with her baby, or at least, that's what Edward took it to mean when she put her hand to the still slight swell at her abdomen. Sometimes - as now - he even saw her private smile, and it seemed to him that she had that pregnant woman glow people talked about.

She'd even come around to the nickname he'd given the little alien unit: Bean. Bean, because that's what they had both thought he looked like in his first picture, and Bean was a noble name, Edward claimed. She'd grinned back, told him that she actually liked Bean more than Ender, and winked at his pleased smile that she'd gotten the reference.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye as he drove, Edward had an urge that was like an itch under his skin to reach across the console and put his hand over hers on her hand on her belly. Sometimes it was too easy to forget that this wasn't really his, to taper down the odd sense of pride that welled in him when he looked on this woman who wasn't his wife anywhere but on paper.

Rather than dwell or let his urges get the better of him, he cleared his throat, getting her attention. "So Alice will pick you up today, remember?"

Her serene expression fell as her lips twitched downward. "Yes, of course I remember," she said irritably, folding her arms over her chest again.

Edward bit the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. "Try to hold your enthusiasm back," he joked.

It earned him a glare from her. "I don't like being babysat. You know that."

"I still don't understand how you can consider it babysitting," he countered, not for the first time. "I thought you and Alice were becoming good friends."

"We are! I love Alice and your mother," Bella said with a sigh. "I like spending time with them, but I don't like the idea you invited them over just so I wouldn't be alone. I don't need constant looking after."

"I'm not suggesting that you do," he said gently. "Honestly, Bella, they were intending on staying over even before you came along. You know... a guys weekend begets a girls weekend, and my house is big enough to accommodate all of them comfortably. Besides, I wish you wouldn't take insult to any of us making certain concessions because you're pregnant. It comes with the territory, I think."

She gave him a withering look and he laughed. "It does! In the ancient times, all of a tribe would take a breeding woman's needs into consideration. Even in the ages of knights and kings, pregnant women were sure to have good cuts of meat even in the lean winter months when everyone else was half-starved."

At that she snorted. "It's called progress," she teased, but she seemed a lot more at ease after his explanation.

By then they had pulled up in front of Home Depot. Edward got out, feeling like he had to bid her a proper goodbye. As much as he was looking forward to spending time with his father and brothers, he was anxious about leaving her behind. They had only rarely spent any time apart when they weren't working in the six weeks since they'd met, and Edward found that a big part of him didn't want to be away from her.

There was an awkward moment where he hesitated, not sure what the protocol was supposed to be here.

She solved his problem for him, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his chest. "No bear hunting, okay? If you see a bear, you run the other way."

He chuckled, rubbing her back. "The protocol if a bear attacks is not to run, actually."

"Just don't try to wrestle one."

"I won't. I can't make any promises about Emmet, though." He closed his eyes a moment, squeezing her tight as he dared, enjoying holding her in his arms.

Finally, he kissed her forehead tenderly and released her. "Be safe," he murmured.

She snickered. " I'm not headed out to the wilderness," she reminded him.

"All the same," he said, briefly touching his hand to her belly. "Take care of Bean."

"Well, I'm much more fond of Bean since he stopped making me puke my guts out. So I guess I'll keep my eye out... Make sure he doesn't go out late, getting into all kinds of shenanigans." She smiled and then sighed. "I have to go inside. Have fun, okay?"

He stepped away from her reluctantly. "I will."

**~0~**

Though they were taking off in the afternoon, Edward had taken the day of work to pack and prepare.

But when he arrived back home after dropping Bella off, he found his new hiking backpack waiting for him in the entryway. Peering inside, he found it filled to the brim, packed with everything he might need out in the wild.

"Leah," he called, finding his housekeeper in his bedroom, folding clothes. "Did you pack my bag? "

She snorted. "Yeah right. That's not in my job description, boss man." She glanced up at him, not pausing in her task.

"If you didn't do it..." He trailed off, making the obvious connection.

"She tries her best to take care of you, I'll tell you that much," Leah said with a grunt. "Can I make an observation?"

"Since when do you ask? "

Leah chuckled. "You have a point." Her tone was almost gentle when she spoke again - very un-Leah like. "You're happy lately."

"Am I?" Edward asked nonchalantly. "It's nice having someone else in the house."

She gave him a look. "Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "That's totally it."

**~0~**

It wasn't going nearly as badly as Bella feared it might be. Alice was her usual chatterbox self as they drove home.

Alice clucked in sympathy as she watched Bella rub her neck. "I bet your feet hurt twice as much."

"It's not too bad," Bella murmured. It was a lie, but it could have been worse. "Edward bought me these ridiculous shoes. They were... too much, but they're very comfortable."

"Edward's just trying to take care of you," Alice chided lightly.

"I know," Bella said quietly. "He's too good at it."

"Is there such a thing?" Alice laughed. "Cut him a little slack, Bella. He loves doting on you."

Bella glanced at her friend. She'd never thought of it that way, but she had a point. Edward did get such a satisfied expression when she let him do things for her. "I let him buy me the shoes," she pointed out.

"Oh, well. There is that," Alice teased.

Esme and Rosalie arrived not long after Bella and Alice got home. Esme had brought a right feast from a local Italian restaurant she said was to die for.

They were just sitting down to eat when Bella's cell phone chirped Edward's ring tone. "Hello?"

"Hey." Edward's voice brought an automatic smile to her face.

"Hi! How do you have signal in the wilderness?"

"That's why I'm calling now. We're about to head out of the service area." He paused. "What are you girls up to?"

Before she could answer, Alice grabbed her phone. "Hey, Edward. I need you to go away. We're about to head into the strip club now, and-"

"Give me that," Bella gasped, snatching the phone out of her hand. "Sorry," she said to Edward.

"It's fine. What are you really doing?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Sitting down for a gourmet dinner of all your favorite Italian things," she said mockingly.

"You know how to hurt me, don't you?" he groaned. "I think we're having jerky and dried fruit for dinner tonight."

"If you don't get your ass off the phone so we can get going, you're not getting anything," Jasper said in the background.

"Yeah, you'll have to catch a squirrel or something!" Emmett chimed in.

"It sounds like you're having fun," Bella said, smiling.

"Yes. You, too?"

"Mostly. Alice is threatening to paint my toenails."

"Ritual torture," he said with a laugh.

"Edward, for the love of Christ. You won't die without your wife, I promise," Emmett groaned.

"And you won't die in a few minutes. Give your brother some space," Carlisle admonished.

"I think I better go," Edward said with a small sigh.

"Have fun. Be safe."

Bella set her phone down, quite spaced out until she heard a light laugh. She raised her head, flushing as she realized the rest of the table was staring at her. Rosalie was chewing a bread stick, looking bored, but Alice and Esme looked happy and amused.

Actually, Esme was downright beaming.

"You guys are disgusting," Alice said cheerfully, passing a filled plate to Bella.

"No kidding," Rosalie muttered under her breath just loud enough for Bella to hear. If the other two women heard her, they didn't let on.

"Oh, leave them alone, Alice," Esme admonished with a chuckle. "They're still newlyweds after all."

"I bet he's still being all cutesy," Alice continued, resting her head momentarily on her folded hands. "Jasper can be quite romantic when he wants to be, but I always had this thought that Edward would take the cake."

"Oh, yes. Bella, normally I'd say it's none of our business, and you can tell me if it isn't, but..." Esme smiled sheepishly. "Well, I missed all the first girlfriends, taking a thousand pictures at prom... all that."

"Edward said he didn't go to prom."

"Exactly," Alice inserted. "So is he a dinner and movie type of date? Or is he more creative?"

Bella resisted the urge to squirm, concentrating instead on dragging her bread stick through the thick red sauce. "We... I mean, we never really dated." She felt her cheeks heat, hearing how those words sounded. "It's just that we didn't have much of an opportunity before."

"Oh, really?" Rosalie asked, arching one eyebrow, looking at Bella steadily as she took a long drink of water. "I suppose there isn't a lot to do in Vegas."

"Nothing that Edward is really interested in," Bella returned coolly. She and Edward had already had that conversation - him lamenting that there were a thousand other cities the stockholders could have found to convene. "Lounge acts get boring, and he isn't one for nightclubs."

"There's plenty to do here, though, plenty to see," Esme prodded gently.

"I'm sure Edward has seen everything he's wanted to see around here," Bella deflected.

Esme and Alice exchanged a glance. "Everything is better when shared with someone you love," Alice asserted. "You said you're new to the city, right?"

"We've just been busy," Bella said, again trying to dismiss the conversation. "With work, and all that."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Alice said, her brow wrinkling. "I completely understand that you want a job of your own, though honestly, I'd take the time to go to school. But why Home Depot? I'd think if you were just looking for any old job, even a data entry job must be better. Home Depot sounds exhausting, especially when you have a little passenger to lug around."

"It's tiring," Bella admitted. "But I really like my job. Data entry is fine, but I'd be bored, and I really don't do well in an office setting. I like that I can wear jeans, and I really like the creative aspect."

"There's a creative aspect?" Alice asked.

"Oh, yes!" It was Esme who answered. "Sometimes, the associates at Home Depot, Lowes - all those places - can make such a huge difference."

Bella nodded, brightening considerably. "Today was my first day out alone on the floor. I was in the bath area. This couple was arguing over tiles they liked, and I suggested a pattern using both types."

"Carlisle and I have had many a fight in the middle of a supply store," Esme chuckled. "A fresh, professional perspective can be exactly what's needed in any project."

"And besides, I like helping people directly," Bella inserted. "It's a little more rewarding, even if my feet do hurt."

"Well, if husbands are good at one thing, it's rubbing feet," Esme said with a wink.

**~0~**

When the other women started yawning, making noise about turning in for the evening, Bella followed them upstairs. She almost forgot herself, going into her room before she did an abrupt about face, darting across the hall into the master bedroom instead.

She was worried for a moment, wondering if one of the others would choose that room to sleep in and see her clothes in the closet, her book on the nightstand. But as she looked around Edward's room, she smiled, realizing he was one step ahead of her. Her book lay on the nightstand and a glance at the closet showed that some of his clothes had been moved aside to make room for hers.

For a few moments, she sat on the edge of the huge bed, thinking about the picture the room painted. Edward's laptop was perched on the edge of his nightstand. To an outsider, at a glance, it looked like they were a true couple.

Bella had already discovered how much she enjoyed watching him work. When he had his mind focused on a project, he would get the most intense expression on his face as he glared at his computer, his fingers deftly working as he calculated space restrictions and everything else that went into designing an entire building. One thing Edward had said he enjoyed about working for his cousin was that Felix did like his new buildings to be finely designed and constructed. He spared no expense, giving Edward much to work with.

Once, just once, she'd started out on the opposite end of the couch while he worked away. She'd crept closer and closer, curious as what looked like random lines became walls and rooms. She watched, utterly fascinated until he stopped, and she suddenly realized she was craning so far over, her head was resting on his shoulder.

He'd seemed bemused rather than annoyed, so she'd asked a few questions that occurred to her, listening and watching intently as he played with the placement of windows in the entry hall.

In her mind's eye, Bella moved the scene to the big bed she sat on. She could almost hear the reassuring clacking of his fingers flying across the CAD controls. She could imagine flipping through her book, occasionally glancing over to see what he was creating that might someday become a whole building.

Bella felt her cheeks heat and she snorted at herself. She was getting good at spinning little fantasies of conjugal bliss. But who could blame her? Who wouldn't want a man like Edward as a husband, a father to her baby?

Frowning, Bella slipped her hand under the edge of her shirt, cupping the hard, rounded bump that had begun to protrude. She brushed her fingertips in light circles over the swell.

Her father had always warned her that life got complicated quick, but this was ridiculous. Bella had never been one to think constantly about relationships and her love life, but she wasn't jaded - or she hadn't been. She hadn't been looking for love, but she thought she would have an open mind if it ever found her.

What she felt for Edward was an emotion that was sometimes comforting and warm, like a hot chocolate in front of a blazing fire in the winter, and sometimes like static electricity and that moment of exhilaration at the very peak of a roller coaster. She'd toyed with the idea that she was falling for him, but she had to ask herself what was real.

Were her feelings only a matter of circumstance? How could she not feel endeared to him after all he'd done for her, after every hardship he'd put himself through to make her life a little easier?

Bella shook that thought away, reminding herself that she had duties as a hostess. She rolled her eyes, realizing that they probably knew better than her where the spare towels and things were.

As she walked out into the hallway, Bella stopped cold when she heard her name.

"What is your problem with Bella anyway? She's... sweet."

Rosalie snorted in response to Alice's comment. "God, whatever. I'm just sick of hearing about her. I hate how everyone rushes to protect her."

"She hasn't done anything to you."

"No, I suppose she hasn't." She sighed dramatically. "You know what, Alice, it's just annoying, okay? Do you even remember what this weekend was supposed to be?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Exactly," Rosalie said bitterly. "Back when the boys planned this little getaway, do you remember what we said we were going to do?"

There was a long, awkward pause. Then Alice sighed quietly. "Oh, Rose."

"Yeah. There's a lot of that going around. You forget that we were supposed to go cake tasting for the wedding. Carlisle and Esme are so busy celebrating Edward's marriage that they've all but forgotten Emmett's getting married. It sucks," she spat. "He could win the Nobel Prize and his parents would be would be ooing and awing over whatever minor achievement Edward's accomplished this week. Maybe he managed to tie his shoes just the right way."

Sarcasm dripped from her tone, making Bella's hands flex into fists at her side. She was frustrated. What she wanted was to argue, but she understood she was biased. She didn't know the situation well enough, didn't know the family's dynamic. She was still a newcomer - an outsider.

"That's not fair, Rosalie," Alice said gently. "You know-"

"Ugh. God. Yes, I know. I've heard the whole sob story. And don't get me wrong. You know I have no problem with Edward," Rosalie interrupted. "But really, what good was it? Losing their kid the first time around, if they never got over it long enough to pay attention to their other kids?"

Pressing her hand against her lips, Bella turned around, determined to walk away before she heard anything more. She gasped when she ran right into Esme who was standing not a foot behind her.

"Oh, God. Esme, I'm sorry," she whispered.

The other woman's answering smile was watery, and she breathed deep before she spoke. "There's nothing you need to be sorry for, dear," she said quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Points if you know where the baby's nickname comes from.
> 
> FAQ: Yes, we will see Grandfather again. Soon.
> 
> Thanks to GinnyW and barburella!
> 
> SO! What's your favorite preggo fanfic?


	11. Hot Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It occurs to me I never told you Edward's profession. He's an architect. Mah bad.
> 
> Oh, also to answer a frequently asked questions. Edward is 32, Emmett is 24, Jasper is 22. Alice is 22. Rosalie is 25. Bella is 20.

"I want something grand," Felix said, leaning back in his chair, his feet propped up on Edward's desk. "Something imposing. I want the people of Chicago to know the Cullen building by sight."

Edward steepled his fingers, looking at his cousin, musing that he probably should be bristling at how a man with the surname Scarpinato could take on the Cullen name as his own. It bothered Grandfather Cullen to no end.

Frowning at the thought of his grandfather, Edward tried to push the uncomfortable thoughts away. Since their huge fight many weeks before, Edward the first had been ignoring Edward's existence. Calls and e-mails went unanswered. Besides making Edward innately nervous - his grandfather's silence could never mean anything good, and he wasn't stupid enough to think he'd heard the last of it - he felt very guilty. Logically, he understood the man was wrong. He'd been wrong to keep Edward away from his parents, as he was wrong for being so cruel about Bella. Still, Grandfather Cullen was Edward's father in many ways, and a son never wanted to be out of his father's favor.

"Edward!" Felix snapped his fingers in front of Edward's face.

Clearing his throat, Edward tried to focus. "I know you're thinking of height, but have you considered opting for a pavilion instead of a skyscraper?"

Felix raised an eyebrow. "A pavilion?"

"Yes. The land you have is large enough. Rather than one massive building, why not a collection of buildings around some type of green area - or even a series of fountains? Something to add to the landscape that people can enjoy being a part of rather than just staring up, up, up," Edward suggested, turning his drawing pad around to show him some sketches he'd been working on.

"Hmmm," Felix hummed, taking the pad and beginning to flip through some of the sketches, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

The phone on Edward's desk chirped and his assistant - Demetri - spoke. "Mr. Cullen? Your wife is on line 2."

"Is it urgent?" Edward asked, feeling a momentary edge of panic. He tried to calm his innate reaction, mentally chastising himself for reading too many pregnancy books. He knew too much about things that could happen - random and miniscule possibilities.

"No, it's not urgent, sir," Demetri replied.

"Then tell her I will call her back in fifteen minutes or so."

"Yes, sir."

When Edward looked up again, he caught Felix staring at him with bemusement. "Ah, your phantom wife," he chuckled. "I would think she doesn't exist, but Mother and Uncle Edward have had many a heated conversation over that girl."

Edward's shoulders stiffened, and he swallowed hard. "I don't know what Grandfather has been telling you-"

Felix held up his hands, his deep chuckle making Edward all the more irritated. "Oh, Edward. It's always obvious who you get your flair for dramatics from. Yes, your grandfather and my mother are very... opinionated. They're like to give themselves a heart attack the way they go on." He shook his head. "But neither Mother nor Uncle Edward will be in attendance next week for the company picnic."

"That's right," Edward murmured, drumming distracted fingers on his desktop. "Business in Italy."

Felix nodded. "So, you're bringing your phantom wife then?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, his lips set in a thin line.

"Come on. We have a pool going around as to why you haven't shown her off yet. Blond, brunette? Maybe you've even caught yourself a ginger." He guffawed obnoxiously. "You don't even have a picture of her for your office. What are we to make of it? Is she that hideous?"

"Bella is not hideous," Edward replied hotly. "My wife is beautiful."

"Then bring her around! Let us have a look at her."

"She's not a sideshow act to be gawked at!"

"Edward!" Felix boomed, laughing. "My God, you are defensive. The tendency for dramatics is in the Cullen blood." He shook his head. "I meant no disrespect. Why are you acting like this? It's abnormal for a man not to want to be seen with his wife."

"I'm sorry," Edward said contritely, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm just wary. Grandfather said some very cruel things about her, and I won't let that happen again. She's pregnant, for godsakes. I just don't want her to have any reason to get upset."

"Well, as I said, I'm not one to listen to my mother and uncle's ridiculousness," Felix pointed out. "And the rest of your coworkers wouldn't have any problem that I can figure." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Unless you broke a few hearts in the bullpen when you married a complete unknown? Hmm?"

Edward rolled his eyes.

Felix smiled genuinely at Edward. "You've never experienced that picnic as a family man. It's quite nice. There will be a photo booth this year, just like last year. Even a serious guy like me got a little silly with all the props they have there. But you can take a nice picture with your pretty wife. And in years to come, your little one will like all the kids' things Heidi sets up."

Edward's lips tugged upward. He had to admit his cousin was putting images in his head that weren't unpleasant. He remembered last year, sitting with the directors and their spouses. Felix had gone to serve a plate for his wife and kissed her on the cheek as he set the plate in front of her. An odd, irrational jealousy had churned in him that day. An obnoxious man like Felix - only a year or so younger than his father - had convinced not one but four different women to fall in love with him. Meanwhile, Edward - who understood that, while he had his faults, by all standards he should be quite the catch - had not had a proper girlfriend in all his thirty-two years.

Though, admittedly, Edward had never envied Felix the wives he'd caught.

He shook his head and looked his cousin in the eye again. "If Bella is feeling up to it, we'll be there," he promised. "Now, about the building..."

**~0~**

"This is silly," Bella said with a groan, watching her reflection in the mirror.

She was nervous. Why she was nervous, she had no idea, but her stomach was twisting in knots that, for once, had nothing to do with Bean.

She sighed, setting her brush down and leaning on the counter, breathing in and out through her mouth.

Alice and Esme had gotten her thinking. From everything Edward said, he hadn't been one to date very much. Still, he must have occupied his time somehow before she came along. Now, he came directly home from work, or left a little early to pick her up from Home Depot. She still didn't like how much of his time she ate away - having to be dropped off and picked up - but he was adamant she not think about taking the bus, at least until they were sure Alec and James would stay away.

But in the six weeks they'd lived together, Edward had come home to her every night and seemed content to stay in on the weekends, except when they visited with his family. She liked the peacefulness, but surely he'd done something for fun before she came along.

And though Bella had been concentrating on getting her life in order - she wasn't here to sightsee after all - it had occurred to her that she did want to explore Chicago a little.

Over the last couple of days, Bella had thought up a plan. Yesterday, she'd been a little excited. Today, she just felt stupid. Her plan - between paying for the thing and for the new dress she was wearing - had eaten away an entire paycheck.

It would be worth it, though, if she could treat Edward for once. If she was going to usurp all his time, the least she could do was make it a little fun once in awhile.

So she'd taken a half day off work today, catching a ride home from Alice who had a flexible job for the summer. With the other woman's help, she'd found a dress that was pretty without being fancy - suitable enough for where they were going.

It was a nice afternoon, Bella reflected. Alice was such a warm presence, and she appreciated how she looked after Edward as if he were her big brother instead of just her boyfriend's brother. Alice was ecstatic at Bella's idea and silenced some of the fears she had that Edward would hate it.

With Alice gone, Bella was back to doubting herself, but when she heard Edward's voice calling up to her, she knew she was out of time.

Taking a deep breath, Bella quickly finished pulling her hair back at the sides with two pretty clips - Alice had insisted that every nice outfit necessitated at least a small accessory. Grabbing her purse, she headed for the stairs.

Edward was in the foyer, setting his briefcase and laptop bag down by the hall tree. He glanced up as she descended the stairs and shock registered on his face before he smiled at her. "Bella," he said, his voice breathier than usual. "You look beautiful."

She ducked her head, bashful but pleased. It was obvious that he couldn't take his eyes off her, and she reveled in that thought for a long moment.

Finally, Edward's eyes drifted back up to hers and he smiled impishly. "Hot date?"

She heard the curiosity in his voice, and so she grinned back with feigned innocence. "Yes, actually."

It was comical the way his smile faltered as his eyes widened. He recovered quickly, his hand going to the back of his neck in a move she recognized as nervous agitation. "Really? Do I know this person?" It was obvious he had to work to keep his voice steady.

"I should hope so," she murmured, feeling a little smug that she'd unnerved him. "Are your shoes comfortable?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Your shoes," she repeated. "Can you stand in them for a few hours?"

"Er, yes. That's doable," he stumbled.

She smiled at him, feeling shy as she held her hand out. He took it, still looking confused. "Good," she said, ignoring the pleasant, fluttering thrill that made her skin tingle where he touched her. "Because you're my hot date."

Again, his eyes bulged, but only for a moment before his grin widened in a way that made her heart stammer. "I see," he said, squeezing her hand.

"That's okay, right?" she asked, a little anxious. "I mean, you don't have any plans?"

He chuckled. "No, I have no plans. This is why you didn't need a ride home?" he verified.

Bella blushed. "I needed to pick up a few things," she said, looking down at her dress. "Where we're going - it's not too fancy, but it's more than jeans fancy," she explained.

"Now I'm very curious," he murmured, his voice low as he stepped toward her.

Bella bit her lip, feeling dizzy in a head rush kind of way. "Tough," she managed to say, though she felt a little out of it as she stared up into his eyes. "You'll see soon."

He squeezed her hand again before he stepped toward the hall tree, taking her light sweater down and draping it over his arm. "Well, let's go then."

_**~0~** _

The red brick building was unassuming, looking very much un-fancy as they stepped up to it, so Edward was confused. "Cook Au Vin," he read aloud, amused by the play on words. "It looks like a bakery, but the name suggests it's a French restaurant."

"It's both, technically," she said carefully.

"But you said we would be standing for hours," he mused.

"Yes. It's a French restaurant, but we're the chefs."

He stopped short, looking at her, not knowing quite what to think. "What?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do," she explained in a rush.

Edward was momentarily distracted on how her pinked cheeks made him want to brush his fingertips along her skin. He blinked, paying attention again.

"Cooking isn't what I would call a passion, but I've always thought it would be, I don't know... cool, I guess, to make a super fancy meal. You know? Dishes that are hard to pronounce." The pink blush on her cheeks turned more scarlet in color.

"You mean this is a cooking class?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he opened the door for her.

"Yes," she confirmed. "One very fancy meal." Her expression was anxious as she looked up at him. "This is silly, isn't it?" she asked quietly and bit her lip.

Pressing his thumb to her bottom lip gently, he released it from the hold of her teeth. "It's not silly," he said quietly. "They may not like if we burn the place down, though."

"You can follow instructions, oui, monsieur?"

Edward looked over to find an employee had joined them and was watching expectantly. "Oui, I can follow instructions," he confirmed.

The man nodded. "You're here for the Champagne Menu class?"

Bella stepped up then, handing him a slip of paper. "Yes."

"And do you have wine we may put on ice for you?"

To Edward's surprise, Bella reached into her bag. He hadn't noticed she was carrying a small canvas bag along with her purse. She pulled out first one wine bottle, then another. They were reds, he noted, matching the few he had in his own cabinet at home.

Edward leaned down, his lips near her ear so he could whisper. "Who are those for?"

She shivered noticeably, but she was smiling when she turned her head. "You." She opened her bag a little to show she'd brought a water bottle for herself.

"You think I need two bottles of wine?" he asked, highly amused.

"No," she said, scrunching up her nose a little. "I did the research. We have to keep up appearances. Apparently, we'd look silly if we showed up with only one bottle of wine but like alcoholics if we had four."

This made him laugh. He wasn't sure about anyone letting him near a kitchen, but he was loving the effort she'd obviously put into their night.

The restaurant's employee led them to a back room where the class was being held. A few of the other couples were already gathered, drinking their wine and snacking on a spectacular spread of bread and cheese.

"I thought this might be fun," Bella said as they sat at the stools the man indicated. "It's upscale, so I thought it might be palatable to your - er - delicate taste buds." She waggled her eyebrows playfully at him. "And they do these classes all the time, so I'm sure the kitchen is Cullen-proof."

He snorted. "We'll see about that," he murmured, picking up the menu that listed what they would be making. "Black truffle soup, sautéed shrimp with lobster and champagne veloute, linguini with shaved fresh truffle, and a champagne chocolate truffle molten lava cake," he read out loud. He sucked in a breath. "Bella, this is all very fancy."

She must have spent a small fortune on this little excursion.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, uncertain.

Bella worked so hard for what little money she made, it made his heart twist to think of how much she'd spent. If she had done this as a grand gesture to make up for everything he'd done for her...

"I just wanted to share this with you," she explained quietly.

A warmth spread across his chest, and his smile was more genuine then. He reached between them, taking her hand and twining their fingers. "I just wouldn't have expected this," he murmured. "It's a good surprise."

Her smile was pleased when she looked back at him

The class was more fun than Edward expected. The bread and cheese served before any cooking was done alone made for a good night. He watched, bemused and delighted at Bella's expressions as she tried different cheeses.

"I'm going to get full just from this," Bella muttered, wrapping a bit of salami from the charcuterie tray in a thin slice of white cheese.

When the class had all gotten to know each other fairly well and had their fill of cheese, bread, and meat, they got down to business. Bella laughed and took a picture with her cell phone when he'd donned his cap and apron. He couldn't be offended when she smiled like that, her eyes lighting up. Besides, she looked adorable in her get up, and he told her so, snapping a picture of his own. She threatened to send her picture to his brothers, and he just laughed.

The chef was American, so he took great pleasure in imitating a haughty French accent for the amusement of his class. He was charming and funny, keeping everyone engaged and the atmosphere lighthearted as they all worked together. He teased Edward when he managed to spill most of the vinegar set aside on the counter rather than in the bowl.

He handed Bella a wooden spoon. "Madame Cullen, when you see your husband is not following instructions, you hit his knuckles. He will learn," the man said sagely as the rest of the class chuckled.

Pursing her lips, Bella waved the spoon menacingly at Edward, teasing him.

When Edward saw Bella eyeing everyone else's wine while she sipped her water, he poured her a glass. She looked shocked until he leaned down, whispering in her ear. "A glass of wine every now and again is fine. I promise."

"How do you know?"

"I've been reading those books, too," he admitted, smiling sheepishly.

Her eyebrows shot up. "You have? Why?"

He cocked his head, a little taken aback by the question. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked curiously.

She had no answer for that, and their attention was soon called back to the chef.

All in all, the class lasted nearly five hours, running far overtime - not that the attendees minded. Edward couldn't speak for the others, but he seemed to have slipped into a bubble space he was loath to leave.

The last few weeks, Bella had slowly begun to come out of the shell she'd been in since the day they met. The more time they spent together, watching TV or eating dinner, he'd begun to catch glimpses of the person she could be when her defenses were down - when she forgot to be a woman whose entire life had been shattered and became just her, just Bella.

That night, she was in her element. She was teasing and funny when she whispered asides to him. He enjoyed the expression of rapt attention that came over her face when the chef was explaining an advanced culinary technique. He loved the way her eyelashes fluttered when she tasted a bit of sauce to check that it was seasoned correctly and loved that the smiles she shared with him were wider than the polite smiles she gave everyone else.

When Bella excused herself to go to the restroom, a woman who had introduced herself earlier as Chelsea leaned over her empty seat, catching Edward's attention. "The way you love your wife is beautiful," she gushed in a deep Italian accent. "It's rare to see a man so attentive. It's no wonder she adores you so."

Her words made him start - not because he found them so appallingly wrong, but because as she said them, he found he was  _not_ surprised.

"Thank you," he murmured sincerely.

He was still thinking about those words when they finally left, near midnight, full of rich, delicious food and high on the humor of the evening. Though he had only drunk very little, she claimed he might be tipsy, and Edward gave over the keys, letting her drive as he tried to arrange the thoughts in his head.

But Edward found he didn't want to think. He was flying on some emotion that made his pulse race and his body warm from head to toe. The tiny hairs on his skin seemed to tingle with the charge in the air around them. When they were in the car together, the space in his head felt slightly surreal, like the world itself had truncated to just them, even though he could see the traffic just outside the window.

He was itching to touch her, he realized as he tried to name the restlessness that seemed to be just under his skin. He wanted to hold her hand over the shifter. It took all of his self control not to lean across the console to kiss her cheek when they pulled up to a red light.

These things felt strangely natural. Second nature.

It was exceedingly difficult to fight nature.

They were mostly silent on the drive home. The silence was not uncomfortable, but there was something heavy about it, the invisible weight of something waiting to happen.

That silence continued as they went inside the house and climbed the stairs, still side by side, their fingers brushing. He'd held her hand earlier that evening, but somehow, if he tried, it would feel different now, mean something else - something he hadn't thought out yet.

Outside their doors, they lingered in the middle of the hallway. It was late, he thought, and he should let her retreat to her room, but he simply wasn't ready to let this night end.

And, it took him a moment to notice, she didn't seem to be in any rush either.

The light in the hallway was low but enough that he could see the faint flush of her skin as she looked up at him. Edward couldn't quite comprehend how she could look at once so innocent, so pure - her features still smooth and achingly young - and yet so utterly and completely like a woman - the curve of her hip and the slight swell of her belly making his fingers twitch with the longing to draw his hands along the fine lines of her body.

"Bella," he murmured lowly, breaking the silence between them as he took a tentative step forward.

"Hmm?" she hummed, the sound pitched slightly higher than the way she spoke. Her eyes were frozen on his.

He lifted a hand his fingers hesitant, hovering in the air for the space of a few heartbeats before he drew them down the petal-soft skin of her cheek. He breathed in heavily, the sound stuttering in his throat. "Have I kissed you before? In Vegas?" he asked, suddenly curious and irrationally jealous of himself. "Sometimes, I think I remember kissing you. Did I that night?"

He'd been too embarrassed to ask before, chagrined at the fact he couldn't remember such a momentous occasion - foolish though it may have been. But somehow, he couldn't not know anymore.

Bella blinked and dropped her eyes but only for a moment. "Yes," she whispered, her voice stretched thin. "You kissed me. More than once."

Cupping her cheek, he struggled to remember. He'd thought about it before - had randomly wondered what it would feel like to kiss her. Now he wondered if those idle fantasies weren't fantasy at all but memory.

"Tell me about the first time," he asked, stepping closer to her again. "Please."

Surprisingly, she laughed, the sound almost a giggle. Beneath his palm, he could feel the blood warm her cheek. "You were following directions."

"Directions?" he echoed, furrowing his brow.

"'You may now kiss the bride,'" she quoted, one side of her lips quirking upward, though he thought the smile was a little sad.

His lips tugged downward, dissatisfaction permeating the heady emotions that made his thoughts feel thick. "Really?" he rumbled, displeased. "That's..."

There were no words for how wrong that was.

Shaking his head, he stepped forward once more, his body swallowing the last bit of space between them. The hand that he didn't have cupped at her cheek drifted to the small of her back, and he pulled her up against him gently. Her eyes were wide, but her head tilted up.

It was strange because, on the one hand, there was a thrill he had never known before. Still, there was something so completely old about this moment.

He'd once heard a song that claimed all souls, at the beginning of time, were joined, two to a pair, before they were ripped asunder and spread to all parts of the world. It seemed so plausible just then. What else could explain how he knew exactly where to put his hand that it fit just so at the divet of her back? What else could explain the way their bodies lined up? Surely she had been a part of him once, and now that he'd found her again, he saw he'd been missing something essential.

Maybe that's what loneliness was: the quiet, nameless ache of a soul looking for its lost half.

The emotion, the innate rush he felt simply touching her cheek, was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It was new, and yet...

What he felt for her seemed as old as time itself. The sun set in the west. The sky was blue. Edward was meant to touch Bella, to hold her just like this.

He tilted his head down, catching her lips between his, the movement as flawlessly executed as if it had been choreographed. She whimpered against his mouth, her lips moving with his, her arms going around his neck as he wrapped both of his arms around her. He could feel every line of her body against his.

It was like taking his first breath, though he wasn't breathing at all, too caught up in kissing her at no one's direction, and for no other reason than it was what he was made to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Le sigh.
> 
> Many thanks to barburella and GinnyW, and to Shug for pinch beta!
> 
> And, as always, thanks to all of you.
> 
> Only a few of you got the Bean reference. It's from Ender's Game, hence why Bella comments she prefers Bean to Ender. :) Great series. Check it out!


	12. Tempest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Much love and affection to all of you. I love that you love this fic. Hearts. Puffy ones.

_There is a moment in every dawn when light floats, there is the possibility of magic. Creation holds its breath._

The quote floated up through Bella's consciousness as she woke. It was one of her favorites, but usually it was because of the punchline that came after it:

_The moment passed as it regularly did on Squornshellous Zeta, without incident._

Today, though, as Bella transitioned seamlessly from pleasant dreams to pleasant reality, her thoughts lingered around the first part of the quote: floating light and the possibility of magic. It was a different world.

Bella couldn't remember the last time she'd awaken to absolute giddiness. In fact, she didn't think she ever had. She'd awaken sad, happy, content, tired, but never giddy.

Stretching her arms above her head, Bella basked in the warmth of the sun that streamed in through her windows. Her cheeks felt stretched and sore, but she couldn't stop smiling. When she'd stepped into the bathroom in the middle of the night last night, she'd noticed her cheeks were a hectic shade of red, and there was a gleam in her eyes she didn't recognize. She was willing to bet that look hadn't faded with sleep.

She felt silly, but for once, she couldn't care less. Despite the slight chill to the morning air, she felt warm, her blood still humming with residual heat from Edward's kiss the previous night.

Her smile tugged ever wider as she lowered her hands, running her thumb over her lips.

It was different - so different - from the first time.

That night in Vegas was like a blur. She'd been scared out of her mind - terrified and reeling. In a moment of pure panic and desperation, she'd clung to this kind, beautiful stranger, believing him when he said he could help her. When the minister pronounced them man and wife, Edward had seemed almost startled - as if he'd forgotten that part of the ceremony, the kiss to seal the deal.

That first kiss was tainted by her fear and his sense of duty. It was not the stuff dreams were made of, but nightmares.

This kiss - their real first kiss - was the antithesis of all that.

The whole evening was flawless. From almost the moment they stepped into the car, it was as though they left every worry, every care behind. She'd been aiming for a little fun. What she got was so much more.

The atmosphere at Cook Au Vin was light, playful, and Edward seemed to pick up on that. It had obviously amused him when the chef referred to her as Madame Cullen because he teased her most of the night. "You're stirring, not whisking, Madame Cullen," he'd whispered in her ear, his hand pressed flat against her side as he came up behind her to observe her work.

And she had to admit, the way his voice wrapped effortlessly around the awkward French words sent delicious shivers down her spine.

Then, as she drove home, her fingernails dug into the upholstery of the steering wheel. It was all she could do not to reach for him. Concrete thoughts flitted away as soon as they occurred to her. She had the feeling that she shouldn't touch him like that - she had no right to touch him - but she couldn't quite remember why.

In the hallway, though, it was as if time itself had stopped. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't remember how to speak. Words formed and evaporated on her tongue. She wasn't ready to be away from him, but she didn't know how to say it, or if she should say it.

But before she could force herself to step back, he was stepping forward. His hands were on her cheeks and she felt anticipation so real and tangible, she thought it might have replaced the air around them.

She'd wanted to kiss him. She rolled forward onto the balls of her feet, her head tilted up, before she stopped herself.

Surely, she had to be dreaming or mistaken. She had to be reading the situation wrong.

Then, as if he could read her mind, he was talking about kissing - their first kiss, and she'd laughed it off because she didn't want to think about that moment. She wanted to live forever in this moment - with his hand against her cheek and his body so close, she could already feel the impression of him against her skin - forever. She gladly would have traded every other minute of her life to hold on to whatever was happening between them.

When she looked into his eyes, the question of if faded away - forgotten. The new question was when, and the answer was in that next second, when his eyes closed and their lips met.

Bella rolled over, smothering an excited trill into her pillow. She knew she was being as silly as the squealing schoolgirls she used to revile, but how could she help it?

She was happy, and for the first time in recent memory, she couldn't wait to find out what the day would bring.

Someone must have heard her silent musing because the doorbell rang just then. Repeatedly.

The urgent sound was nonsensical, a discordant chord in the beautiful harmony of her memories.

Sitting up in bed, Bella frowned. The pleasant bubble was about to burst; she could feel it.

The ringing bell didn't stop and its insistence broke the lazy pattern of her thoughts. Standing, Bella hurried out the door. She was just in time to see Edward reach the top of the stairs. He was pulling on his shirt, which gave Bella pause for multiple reasons. She had a fleeting moment of worry that he would fall down the stairs, but the shirt was only over his eyes for a second.

Mostly, though, she had to acknowledge that the pang she felt was largely due to the fact she enjoyed seeing him without a shirt.

Bella had enough time to wonder if she had permission to think of him like this before life was thrown, once again, into chaos.

Edward opened the door just as she got to the bottom of the stairs. As he opened the door, Emmett shouldered his way in the door, forcing Edward to take a step backward. The movement startled Bella, and the fierce, furious expression on the larger man's face made her heart start to beat out a frantic rhythm. Jasper came in just behind him, his expression, if anything, even more feral.

Like the first time she'd seen them, Edward's brothers frightened her. They looked not like two young men but like soldiers primed for battle.

Battle was what they came for.

"Is there some sort of problem with your phone?"

Edward's eyes narrowed as he looked at his taller, broader brothers. "Not at all. It is off, if that's what you mean."

"How convenient," Jasper sneered.

"Yes," Edward returned, his eyes going to his youngest brother. "It was very convenient. I wanted to concentrate on Bella, so I turned it off." He folded his arms across his chest. "What is this about?"

"Yeah," Emmett said "That must be nice: showing your girl a good time. I wanted to show my girl a good time last night, but do you know what I was doing instead?"

"Enlighten me," Edward said tightly.

"Rosalie, my Rosalie, was crying her eyes out. She called The Ivy last night to ask a question, but seems they couldn't find our reservation." He took a step closer to Edward, his hands in fists by his side. "She had them do a little digging, of course. Come to find out, our reservation was cancelled after someone - you - put a stop payment on the check."

"Look," Emmett continued before Edward could react. "You want to fuck with me, that's fine. Whatever. But you don't fuck with Rose. She's been through too much shit, and she doesn't need this from you. Her heart was set on that place."

"The check I wrote The Ivy was stopped?" Edward repeated, his tone incredulous.

"No, fuck this not messing with us shit," Jasper interjected. "I do have a bone to pick with you messing with us. I can almost understand you not wanting to pay for their venue. That makes a little sense, though it would have been respectful if you told them about it. But then you mess with our homes?" He shook his head, his expression livid. "Seriously, Edward, that's fucked up. You promised there were no strings attached to what you did for us. We wouldn't have gotten into this whole deal with you if we'd known you could do this."

"Do. What?" Edward asked through clenched teeth.

Quietly, Bella went to Edward's side, taking his hand. His rigid posture relaxed infinitesimally at her touch.

"When were you going to tell us you stopped the automatic payments for the mortgages on our condos? What, were you waiting until the bank foreclosed and we found all our shit on the lawn?" Jasper asked furiously.

Bella felt the jolt of shock rush through Edward's body, and she found she couldn't hold her tongue. "You think all this is Edward's fault? How could you-"

"Stay out of this, Bella," Jasper snapped.

Again, Bella felt Edward's body shift, tensing this time. "Don't speak to her like that," he said angrily. "I already told you-"

"Agh, yeah. Okay," Jasper interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Don't be rude to your wife. I realize that's your biggest concern." He turned to Bella. "Pardon the fuck out of me, sweetheart. I'm just a little testy that your husband here is messing with the roofs over our heads."

"He wouldn't do that," Bella said automatically. She felt like she was reading from a whole different book than the rest of the class. "You wouldn't do that," she repeated, looking up at Edward.

"No," he agreed. "I wouldn't." There was a dangerous edge to his voice as he spoke.

"Oh, would you come off it?" Jasper exploded. The uncomfortable, antagonistic tension in the air seemed to intensify as if it were coming directly from him. "You know you always lectured us about building a relationship on honesty, well maybe it's about time you let Bella know exactly what kind of a brother you are."

"By all means," Edward said, sweeping his arm out. "You're here. Why don't you do the honors?"

"Your wonderful husband has been a little shit to us all our lives,"Jasper said to Bella, venom lacing every word. "He's always done things like this: giving us toys only to take them back, promising to drive us somewhere only to not show up."

"But this is a special level of fucked up," Emmett continued, crossing his arms and glaring at his brother. "You fuck with us? Fine. Whatever. But Rosalie and Alice don't deserve this. You're fucking with their lives, too."

By then, Edward was squeezing her hand so hard, it was very nearly painful, but Bella didn't cry out. He swallowed hard, turning to her. "What Jasper said was true," he said quietly. "I was a poor excuse for a brother..." He turned to his brothers as he continued, "When I myself was a child."

"You weren't a child!" Jasper protested. "We," he pointed to himself and Emmett, "were children. And you hated us. It looks like you still hate us, if you would do this-"

"I never hated you!" Edward roared back. His voice was so loud and angry that Bella flinched.

"Yeah? You have a funny way of showing it!"

"I envied you, you idiot," Edward snapped.

"Envied us what?" Emmett asked, his tone incredulous. "You had everything handed to you: school, cars, this fucking house."

"You think I wanted any of this? I hate this g'damn house!" Edward's fury drained in the space of a heartbeat, and the ache on his features was so present, Bella automatically wrapped her whole arm around his, holding him as best she could. "The only thing I ever wanted was what you had: two parents who loved you and a brother to grow up with. I wanted it so bad, I hated getting to see you because I knew you were only going to leave again, and I would be left with my room full of things and little else."

"Poor little rich boy," his brother returned with a scoff. "I've heard your sad story all my life. Build a bridge."

"I'm not trying to give you excuses. I'm trying to say I understand what I did in the past." Edward took a deep, steadying breath. "When I was a child, a teenager, I didn't know how to process my jealousy, my anger that I couldn't have your lives. I took it out on you both," he looked at Jasper and Emmett, "in ways I'm ashamed of, but that was so many years ago. I know we've had our differences, but what have I done in the last decade that would make you believe I could do something like this to either of you? Without warning, no less?"

"The bank-" Jasper began, but Edward cut him off.

"The bank said that Edward Cullen stopped payment on the check," he repeated their claim. "Am I the only Edward Cullen you know?" He sounded tired as he spoke this last.

Bella caught on before Emmett or Jasper did. "Oh, no, " she breathed.

"Are you trying to say Grandfather has access to your accounts?" Jasper asked finally, his tone indicating just how stupid and childish he found that idea.

"Not my personal account, no," Edward said calmly. "But the money for your mortgage comes out of a joint fund, which he is the primary owner of." He took a deep breath. "The money was mine to do with as I would, supposedly. It was my inheritance."

"You think he removed you from the account?" Bella asked in a small, incredulous voice.

"That would be my guess," Edward answered, his tone flat. Again, he breathed in deep and stepped past them to where he'd set his briefcase down the day before. Rifling through it, he pulled out his checkbook. "For now, all I can do is write you a check to cover the mortgage. As for The Ivy, we'll have to talk about that later."

The other men said nothing, but the silence in the house was deafening - rife with bad blood. Bella concentrated on watching Edward's hand move over the check, trying not to think about how she wanted to tell his brothers off and apologize profusely at the same time.

It felt somewhat melodramatic, thinking she was destroying his life, but what other conclusion could she come to? If he was right about his grandfather, it was their marriage that prompted all this, ending with this latest twist - unraveling a decade worth of hard work on Edward's part to be a good brother.

Edward handed the checks to his brothers without looking at them again and opened the door for them to leave. All three men wore their faces in an angry glower, though Edward's seemed tempered by sadness, and his brothers' by a dubiousness that may have become contriteness if they hadn't spent all of the previous night working themselves into a tizzy.

Only when the door closed behind them did Edward's posture slump. He stood still with his hand pressed flat against the wood, his shoulders rising and falling, his head bowed.

Bella hesitated, wanting to go to him but not knowing if she was welcome. But the next second, her internal struggle was a moot point.

Edward sucked in a sharp breath before he pivoted, grabbing the arms of the hall tree and toppling it. His roar of, "God dammit!" was louder even than the shattering glass of the mirror and the cracking of wood splitting. Bella jumped, shocked into stillness for the space of a few heartbeats before she lurched forward, grabbing his arm before he could throw a punch at the wall.

Under her hands, his muscles flexed. He growled, the sound almost animalistic, but he closed his eyes tightly, breathing in through his nose.

Slowly, careful of the broken glass and splintered wood around their bare feet, Bella stepped around him so she was in front of him. She slipped her arms under his, around his torso, and he seemed to melt a little, his posture softening as he curled her closer to him. She felt his nose nuzzle the top of her head, and his chest rose and fell under her cheek.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time.

Edward blew out a long breath, his hands going to cup her face. His thumbs stroked her cheek as his expression gentled. "None of this is your fault," he said quietly.

"It isn't your fault either."

"That isn't entirely true," he said with a sigh, dropping his hands back to her waist as he rested his forehead against hers. "As I said, they were right. I did play those cruel games with them. I was my Grandfather's son for a good lot of their lives, and it's no one's fault but mine they haven't forgotten."

Bella tilted her head up to scrutinize him for a moment. "Why do you pay their mortgages?"

His lips quirked and he looked around. He growled when he looked down at their feet. "My God," he muttered. "You could have cut your foot right open." He shook his head, obviously displeased.

To Bella's surprise, he stooped, sweeping her up into his arms. Startled, she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding tightly. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure we don't have to take you to the emergency room for stitches," he said seriously, navigating forward carefully.

"What about your feet?"

He glanced up, a tiny smile appearing on his lips. "Well, until I learn how to fly, I'll just have to risk it." He frowned again. "After all, I was the one who broke the glass."

"Don't think I'm distracted," she warned. "I still want to know why you pay for their houses."

"It's really nothing to be concerned-"

"Okay. Don't do that, please," she interrupted.

His eyes found hers as he set her down in the safety of the living room. "Don't do what?"

Bella wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling self-conscious, not knowing if she had a right to ask for this. "If you think this is none of my business, that's one thing. I can respect that. But don't think you can take on all my burdens and expect me not to care about yours."

He studied her for a long moment before he nodded, taking her hand tentatively. Pulling her to the couch, they sat side by side, and he played with her fingers as he spoke.

"It never really sat well with me - the way my grandfather treated my brothers. I was raised believing my father and mother deserved to be ostracized-" his voice was pained as he spoke," - but I didn't understand why that extended to my brothers. He didn't ignore them on their birthdays and at Christmas, but..."

"He didn't give them what he gave you?" she supplied.

"Exactly." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he traced the pad of his finger between hers, as if he was drawing an outline. "So, when I graduated from Cornell, Grandfather added me to that account. He said the money was mine to do as I saw fit." He stopped both moving and talking for a beat, staring down sightlessly. "I think it was the only time he'd ever said he was proud of me."

Bella didn't say anything, but took both his hands, squeezing tightly.

"I didn't really know what to do with it all. It's a lot of money, Bella. A lot. I had this house and that money..." He blew out a frustrated breath. "And as Grandfather loves to point out, my cousin offered me a job at his behest." He shrugged.

"I use my own paycheck for all my expenses, which is why I haven't noticed, if Grandfather truly did remove me from his accounts - which seems very likely. I made that choice a long while ago - to live off myself. Every investment I've made on my own, everything I've purchased for myself - it's all come from what I earned. But when my brothers need something, I take it from that account." He raised his head, his eyes searching. "I suppose I figured it was my way of sharing an inheritance that really should have been my father's."

"And it's reasonable to think your father would do what he could to help his sons," Bella filled in.

Edward nodded.

"So Emmett and Jasper think you're capable of doing what your grandfather has done to you," she murmured, just putting everything together.

Edward's brow furrowed. "Well, perhaps there's another explanation," he said lightly. "I can't very well be angry at my brothers for making assumptions if I turn around and do the same."

Bella didn't answer right away. She could tell by the tone of his voice he didn't believe there was the slightest chance this didn't involve Edward the First. Her body thrummed with renewed irritation toward Emmett and Jasper.

Past or no, how could they - knowing who Edward was now - believe he was anything like his grandfather?

Shifting on the couch, Bella scooted closer to him, taking his face between her hands. His eyes flitted to hers, a little startled, and he watched her intently as she leaned forward. Closing her eyes, Bella pressed a tiny kiss to his chin before she found his lips. He responded after only a moment, his hands splaying across her back as his mouth moved with hers.

When they parted some seconds later, the atmosphere had lightened considerably - a bright edge around a dour situation. Edward's lips were tugging up at the corners, and his eyes seemed less stormy than they had just a moment before.

"Find out," she said quietly. "And if your grandfather did do this, you're taking me to see him. Today."

Edward's features tightened. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

Bella shook her head. "No. It's time. He has a problem with me, he needs to hear from me that I have no intention of hurting you or this family." She took a deep breath because the thought of facing that man had her both terrified and furious. "At the very least, we need to go together to show him the post-nup." Forcing a light smile, she brushed her finger over the ring on his left hand. "We're supposed to be partners, remember?"

That brought back the vestiges of his smile, and he nodded. "Okay," he agreed after a long moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Mmmm more questions.
> 
> Points if you can identify where the quote in the beginning is from.
> 
> Thanks to jfka06, barburella, and GinnyW for all their help. MWAH. Big smooches.
> 
> And thanks to all of you. You really have no idea how I wish I could respond to everyone. I think I got to the questions okay. Hmm.
> 
> So this will definitely post again before I leave for a cruise on Friday, but there will be a week of silence. Just to forewarn.
> 
> And to whomever nominated this for fic of the week on The Lemonade Stand? MWAH. Thank you. YOu made me grinny face.


	13. Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More of you know Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy than knew Ender's Game. I approve! Everyone should love them some Hitchhiker's Guide. Too much good stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Soooo that was fun. Poor Edward has not had a very good day. Sigh!
> 
> Thank you to my lovely girls. Idk how I'd do it without you.
> 
> And thanks to viewers like YOU for all your support and kind words. Really. Thank you.
> 
> Okay, so I'm getting on a plane this evening not to return for a good week. Earliest you'll see an update is NEXT Saturday night, but more likely it will be Sunday. Much love to you all! Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely mothers.

Edward clenched his jaw so hard it ached.

There were a million things he should have been doing, not the least of which was soothing Bella. He knew she was nervous and upset. Seated in the passenger seat, she kept fidgeting, smoothing out non existent wrinkles out of her navy pants. At this rate, she was going to gnaw a hole through her lower lip. He would have called attention to this last part except that he was afraid his complete, bitter fury would override his voice and make it a snap, which she absolutely didn't deserve. As it was, when she'd come down the stairs wearing the lovely dress from the previous evening, he'd immediately sent her back to change.

It had been a very prick-caveman thing to do. As if he should control how she dressed. But in the moment, with everything else going on, Edward simply couldn't take it. The night before had probably been the best night of his life. It was certainly an immature notion, but he didn't want to share any of that with his grandfather.

Perhaps he could have made a romantic sentiment of it, except the more time he had to dwell, the more his words came out harsher than he wanted. He was sure he'd made her feel inadequate. She'd come back down in one of her nice pantsuits with her hair re-brushed - long, shiny, and straight - and her lips shining with gloss.

He'd never seen her wear makeup of any kind.

Edward gnashed his teeth.

Right then, he hated his grandfather with a passion he didn't know he was capable of. He'd been happy. He'd touched peace. He'd gone to bed the night before with a smile on his face and a light heart.

Couldn't it have lasted more than one night?

Bella's hand on his over the shifter drew his attention. He spared a glance and was soothed somewhat when her fingers brushed over his knuckles. She said nothing, but smiled slightly, curling her hand over his.

He breathed in deep, trying to calm his temper. He flipped his hand, squeezing hers. "It's going to be okay," he said quietly, but even to his ears there was an edge to his voice that was anything but soothing.

"Do you really believe that?" she challenged.

He frowned and sighed. "No," he admitted, returning his hand to the steering wheel. There were a few moments of silence, but he could feel her eyes on him. "I know how this must look," he said with a sigh. "What kind of a grown man is afraid of his elderly grandfather?"

"I understand," she said quietly. "For all intents and purposes, he was your only parent growing up." She looked out the window, her voice tight. "It doesn't matter how badly you might have been treated, everyone wants their parents' approval."

Edward didn't answer right away. He read between the lines and wondered, not for the first time, about the mother Bella had left behind. She didn't say a lot about Renee. Now wasn't the time to bring up the subject, though.

"He wasn't... he isn't all bad," he said instead. "My brothers were right. I wanted for nothing. I always had the best, and he encouraged my academic interests." His lips quirked. "When I was perhaps seven or so, he took me to the observatory, and when I was fascinated with the stars he bought me a telescope. A nice one. And though he didn't know anything about the constellations, we learned together."

"No one is all bad," Bella allowed. "But a few good qualities don't give him the right to be cruel to you. I don't think a child needs things as much as affection, and it's obvious he failed on that front." She squeezed his hand as she spoke.

For a long while, Edward didn't speak to that. He wanted to deny that a lack of affection had any big effect on him, but he knew he'd be kidding himself to buy into that.

When he was in his early twenties, coming to the conclusions he had about his grandfather, Edward had made a concerted effort to get to know his parents better. Rather than look down on them, as he had in some way, shape, or form since before he could remember, he tried to see their abandonment objectively.

The choice to raise him had been taken away from them - as so many of Edward's choices had been taken away - but they never stopped loving him.

Then, he began truly accepting his parents' physical affection: his mother's frequent hugs and the way his father would clasp his arm. Since he'd never been a touchy-feely person before, he noticed when he began automatically wrapping his mother in bear hugs that lasted much longer than was entirely necessary. It took him some time to understand why he didn't want to let go.

More than once, he'd thought to himself that should he ever have children, he would not be ashamed to kiss and cuddle them. They would always know how much he loved and treasured them.

The world was a hard, often unforgiving place, and so Edward had to give some credit to his grandfather. The way he'd been raised left him extremely capable of dealing with whatever life threw at him without panicking or otherwise freaking out. His heart was behind a wall the older man had helped him build. Still, he'd come to realize it was no weakness to want to be loved by a parental figure. He'd had no idea how completely starved for love and affection he was until his twenties when he began letting Carlisle and Esme be the parents they always wanted to be to him.

Bella's sharp intake of breath caught his attention. He'd just turned into the driveway of his grandfather's home - the house he'd grown up in. When he glanced over at her, he saw her eyes were huge. "Holy crow," she breathed. "I thought your house was big... You lived here?"

He almost smiled. "Yes, just Grandfather, myself, and the odd nanny."

"Does he live here by himself now?" Bella asked after he'd entered the code in the gate, letting himself in.

Honestly, Edward was somewhat surprised his code hadn't been changed.

"He has a live in nurse," Edward answered. "Mostly to manage his medications- that old man is as strong as any of us and will doubtlessly live forever. He also has a dedicated house staff, most of whom have been with him since I was small."

She didn't speak again until he'd parked the car in front of the big house. "He must be lonely," she observed finally. "It must be such a empty life."

Edward was somewhat surprised. His shock was quickly replaced by amazement. In the little space of time Bella had been exposed to his grandfather, she'd been the subject of his cruel, furious words. That was all she knew of the old man. And yet, she was still able to summon a hint of compassion for him.

As they got out of the car, he reached for her automatically. They ascended the steps holding hands, both squeezing tightly.

If Bella's expression was any indication, her stomach must have been twisting just as much as his was.

Though he still had a key, Edward rang the bell. Again, he almost smiled when he heard Bella's little gasp of surprise when a doorman came to the door.

He knew parts of his life were very surreal to his wife.

"Hello, Eleazar," he greeted.

"Edward!" The man - who Edward guessed to be in his sixties- smiled genuinely. "I feared I might never get to see you again, sir."

Edward grimaced. "I'm not sure what you heard-"

The man waved a hand. "It's not my place to pay attention to my employer's personal business," he said gently, stepping aside to let them in. "It is good to see you though. And this must be your wife?"

"Yes. This is my Isabella," he said, smiling warmly as he patted her hand. "Bella, this is Eleazar. He's worked here for longer than I've been alive."

Eleazar chuckled. "That's very true." He shook Bella's hand firmly. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." He looked up to Edward, his expression a little more serious. "Shall I announce you, sir?"

"No. Just tell me where he is please." Edward switched his grip, wrapping his arm around Bella's waist instead, the movement both protective and because, well, he needed the comfort.

"He's in his study," the older man said gently. "Incidentally, Edward, if I don't see you before you depart, give my best to your father? And all the best to you... if I don't see you."

Edward nodded, his mouth set in a tight line. All these years later, Eleazar still missed Carlisle. Reading between the lines, he knew the other man was entirely unsure if he'd be seeing Edward again, or if he too would disappear from the house as Carlisle had when he was just fifteen years old.

His arm still wrapped around Bella, Edward led her to the wide staircase. He rubbed her back in light circles as they walked, and she squeezed him when they got to the top of the stairs.

Grandfather's study was at the end of the long hall on the second story of the three story house. The door was slightly ajar, and Edward could see that the old man was in an armchair by the window, paperwork on his lap and in his hand.

Edward cleared his throat. "Sir?"

The old man raised his head, his eyes already narrowed. Edward clenched his free hand in a fist at his side when he saw the way his grandfather's eyes swept over Bella. Edward knew the man well enough to know he was deconstructing her in his head, likely judging her based on whatever arbitrary thought occurred to him.

Finally, he raised his eyes. "You don't observe the common courtesy to call before you just stop by, now?" He scoffed.

Edward swallowed hard before he spoke. "I apologize, sir. It was urgent that I speak to you."

"And yet, that still doesn't explain why you didn't call first." Grandfather began speaking right on the heels of Edward's apology. "I can't imagine you couldn't find a working phone, even in your urgency."

Edward bit the inside of his cheek. Before he could answer, though, Bella stepped forward, filling the silence. "Father Cullen, I'm very sorry we haven't been introduced before, and I'm sorry we're meeting for the first time under these circumstances."

"And what circumstances are those, girl?" Grandfather Cullen asked smoothly, raising an appraising eyebrow at Bella.

Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw Bella's cheek twitch. He was surprised to note she was not intimidated but irritated.

"As I was saying, I'm very sorry we haven't been properly introduced to this point," she said cooly. "My name is Bella Swan. Cullen," she stumbled. She drew in a deep breath, recovering. "I've heard you had concerns, and I understand why."

He laughed, and Edward gritted his teeth. "Do you? Well, perhaps you can explain to me what prompted this little visit now, seeing as you've doubtless known my concerns for several weeks."

"I wrote a check to the Ivy," Edward inserted. "Which I was just told was stopped."

"Of course," Grandfather Cullen said coldly.

"Maybe you can explain to me, sir, why you felt the need to remove me from the family's account after a decade," Edward said tightly, choosing his words carefully.

Edward the First regarded his grandson, his eyes hard. "After our discussion, I intended merely to watch the account. But when I saw what was happening..." He shook his head and leveled a glare at Bella. "If my grandson wants to be an idiot, he can do it with the money my nephew pays him. I'll be damned if you chip away at this family's fortune with your extravagant tastes."

Bella's face was a mask of confusion. "I don't know what you-"

"Please, girl. Don't play dumb. That game tries my patience," the old man snapped. "I've seen the payments made to designers, The Ivy, and not one, but two homes?"

"None of those things are for Bella," Edward inserted. "In fact, Bella has received not a single dime from that account."

"And those purchases were for who? You? You suddenly have a taste for designer dresses? Luxury meals? And there was a rather exorbitant amount paid to a company I haven't been able to track down as of yet," Grandfather Cullen accused.

"All of those purchases was made before I met-" Edward sucked in a sharp breath. "Before Bella and I were officially together," he amended. "In fact if you look into the accounts, you'll find that the mortgage on those homes have been paid for the last two years. They're for my brothers, and the large expense you're looking for is to an equipment company - for my parents and their business. Most of the more recent purchases are items I volunteered to pay for Emmett's wedding. The two properties are condominiums for Emmett and Jasper." His voice was rising faster than he could control it. "They are all Cullens, Grandfather. I only use that account for my family, just as you've claimed you want it used, even if you don't want Bella included in that."

Edward the First stood, his eyes livid. "Don't you take that tone with me, boy. If I wanted money wasted on my son and his brats, I'd have given it to them a long time ago. It was my mistake to add you to the account in the first place, clearly. It's best I cut my losses now, before matters got even worse." He looked at Bella as he spoke, and Edward felt a growl building low in his chest.

Bella stepped forward then, thrusting a paper at him. "Here. Read that. It's a post-nuptial agreement. I can't touch any of his accounts - not even his personal bank account - without Edward's permission. If we should ever divorce, I get nothing. Not a penny. I don't want it." She paused as the old man took the paper. "I'm sorry you got the impression I was after your family's money. I don't care at all about money. When I met Edward, I had no idea how wealthy he was."

He laughed again. "Very convincing, girl-"

"Girl is not my name," Bella interrupted.

Grandfather Cullen raised a disgusted eyebrow, looking cooly at Edward. "Such charming taste in women you have," he said, shaking his head. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, your act is good, but I'm not a fool. A piece of paper is just that: paper. So you get my idiot grandson to rip it up as a symbol of his undying devotion to you," he scoffed.

"Then you keep it," she said, crossing her arms.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Keep the paper. I'm assuming you don't believe I could convince  _you_ to rip it up."

Edward was quietly impressed, having never seen his grandfather rendered speechless before. A smile tugged at his lips, and he took Bella's hand again, squeezing tightly.

Bella took a deep breath. "Look, Father Cullen-"

"Are you aware,  _Mrs. Cullen_ ," he pronounced the name with a heavy edge of sarcasm, "that this family is not Catholic?"

Edward grimaced. He'd hoped his grandfather had the tact not to bring it up.

"What?" Bella asked, sounding uncertain.

"Catholic priests are called Father. Pastor is the term you're looking for." He studied her for a moment. "You see, I find it very strange that you care so much for my grandson - my family - and yet you don't even know what religion we practice. Or is it that you're simply too dull to know the difference between the two?" He shook his head. "There's something very wrong here."

"Grandfather!" Edward protested, but Bella was already speaking.

"The only thing wrong is the way you treat the people you should treasure," Bella snapped. "How do you not see? Your son, your grandson - they're beautiful, kind people. How can you look at them and feel anything but pride?"

"Because I am not such a sentimental fool," the older man returned. "How dare you speak to me, young lady? As it is, you live in a house I bought, you are supported by an education and job I provided for Edward." He rolled his eyes. "I thought he might prove himself worthy of the investment. Obviously, I was wrong."

"He's a human being, not a business decision," Bella snarled.

Quickly, Edward put his arm around her waist and began pulling her toward the exit. "Let's go, Bella."

"Edward, you're not to bring your harpy whore back to this house, am I understood, boy?"

Edward whirled on his grandfather. "What I understand, Grandfather, is that you're right. I am a fool. I trusted that there had to be some love in you for your family - for me. A love that exists only as long as I fit the mold you made for me is not love, and I'm done. I'm done listening to you criticize my wife - who has done nothing to you, who you've never even laid eyes on to this point - and my father - who was fifteen when he disappointed you thirty-two years ago, and you still haven't gotten over it it - and me. I'm done with you, do you understand that?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he turned on his feet, ignoring his grandfather's angry, rather belligerent shouts as he lead Bella back down the steps and out the door of his childhood home for what he thought may have been the last time.

_**~0~** _

Bella said nothing, not knowing quite where to start. The drive back home was painfully silent. Edward was seething, and Bella didn't know if she had anything helpful to add.

She'd never been so frustrated in her life.

What she wanted to do was tear into that wretched old man with as many bad words as she knew existed, but would that help?

Well, it would make her feel better, but she was more concerned about Edward.

He was grinding his teeth audibly. He kept his hands gripped around the steering wheel, so she couldn't wrap her fingers around his as she had earlier that day.

Several times, she opened her mouth only to close it again.

Back at the house, he stormed up the steps away from her, and when she caught up, he was staring at the broken hall tree with an expression so furious, she was surprised the thing didn't burst into flames.

She waited, tense, expecting him to start beating on the wall again.

For long moments, it looked like he was going to throw a royal fit. She understood that. It was only because she was more concerned for him that she wasn't raging herself.

Instead, he began to slump slowly.

First, it was his shoulders. Rather than rigid and set back - he always stood and sat up ramrod straight - they seemed to dip with each breath he took. His hands relaxed out of fists, falling limply at his side, and to her surprise, she thought she saw his lip tremble a split second before he turned abruptly, sprinting up the stairs.

Bella followed at a slower pace, completely unsure of what she was doing but knowing she didn't want to leave him alone. She found him in his bedroom, his hands in fists again, dug into his eyes. He was breathing sharply.

It took her a full minute to figure out he was crying. Or at the very least, he was trying not to cry.

Stepping up in front of him, Bella paused, waiting for him to order her away.

When he didn't, she carefully wrapped her hands around his fists, first bringing them down away from his eyes and then working her fingers through his, loosening his death grip.

His eyes were closed, his breath ragged. A tear slipped out from under his closed eyelids. Raising up on her tiptoes, she brushed it away with her lips.

He let out a long, shuddery breath.

Both of her hands still in his, Bella led him to his bed, tugging him down so they were laying face to face, side by side. She wiped away his tears with the back of her hand, her movements slow and gentle, tender. He still didn't open his eyes, but his breath wasn't as labored. She continued to caress the features of his face with one hand, working her way back until she was combing through his hair with her fingers.

Slowly, his body relaxed. He reached out, wrapping her in his arms, burying his nose against her neck.

He was trembling. It was just a slight tremor, but it was there.

Of course, it must have felt like his entire world was coming down around him. On the one hand were his brothers - the boys, men, who should have been his closest friends in the world. His relationship with them had been pushed back a solid decade overnight. On the other hand was his grandfather. Better or worse, he worshipped the man in the way a son worshipped his father. It didn't matter what logic said, or how little Edward the First deserved his family's respect at all. Part of Edward would always ache for his grandfather's approval. Part of him would always believe that if he'd just been better, he could have earned his grandfather's love.

They were two halves of himself that were completely at odds: the family he should have had versus the man he grew up with.

Bella didn't know the right words to comfort him, didn't know what to say to make him see how wonderful he was. It didn't matter that Emmett and Jasper thought he was capable of destroying their lives. It didn't matter that he would never live up to his grandfather's warped view of what a good son should be. He was an amazing, kind, good man.

So she tried to show him instead, how absolutely worthy of love he was, how he deserved to be treasured.

She kissed his forehead, his closed eyes, the tip of his nose, and his cheeks. Stroking her fingers through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck, she kissed his lips. He sucked in a sharp breath - the sound whining with a heavy emotion - before he slowly began kissing her back. They were tiny kisses, painfully unsure at first, but when Bella's lips lingered, his moved with hers.

Slowly, the painful weight of the atmosphere around them dissipated. It wasn't gone, but it was easier to handle, to breathe through.

When Edward opened his eyes he looked calm - sad, but calm. He raised his hand, cupping her cheek, stroking his thumb under her eye, just staring. He took a deep breath, finding her hands and bringing them between them, up to his lips. He kissed her skin. "I'm sorry he said those things to you," he said in a gravely whisper, still rough around the edges.

"Look at me," she entreated. Slowly, he did. "Don't you ever apologize for him again. Not to me. Not to anyone," she said fiercely. "Never again. Promise me."

He studied her for a moment and sighed, scooting closer to her so that there was no space between their bodies, so that they were wound so tight, the only way they could be closer was if their clothes were off.

"I promise," he vowed, the words mumbled against her lips as he sealed his promise with a kiss.


	14. The Longest Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back, everyone! Or I guess, welcome back to me. Lol. I just flew in last night. I had a blast! Thanks so much for all your well wishes.
> 
> I feel like I should remind you - the last several chapters have been about the same weekend. The date was yesterday, and the argument with his brothers/grandfather as well as this chapter all occur on the same day.

Edward woke confused and disoriented. There was something strange about the light in the room - abnormal. And though he'd never found waking up to be a pleasant experience, the ache in his chest, the smothering weight around his lungs that made it difficult to breathe, lent a sort of agony to consciousness. His head pounded with every beat of his heart, and for some reason, he reached out, as if he was expecting to find something to grasp beside him.

Not something, he realized. Someone.

Bella had been beside him, holding him, kissing him so tenderly.

He'd been so angry. It was a rage so terrible, it threatened to tear him to pieces from the inside out. Right on the heels of that tremendous anger was a sadness so profound it left him breathless. Between the two, it was no wonder why his chest, his heart, felt so completely obliterated. It was amazing he hadn't combusted or collapsed in on himself; he'd felt so physically close to both possibilities.

But then she'd been there, and when his arms were wrapped around her, he could feel the confines of his skin again. If not quite whole and complete, he felt like he could at least continue to breathe without either exploding or imploding.

She wasn't anywhere to be seen now. He glanced at the clock, groaning when he saw it was just after noon.

This day had already been so insanely long.

Edward threw his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up. He bowed his head, rubbing his sore eyes as he tried to get his bearings. What he really wanted was to coax Bella back to his bed, wrap her in his arms and fall asleep to her soft kisses again.

"Hey, you're awake."

Looking to the doorway, Edward was almost surprised to find Bella peering in as if she'd heard his wishful thinking. His lips quirked up the barest fraction of an inch. "Hey," he greeted, his voice raspy.

She placed a bottle of water on the nightstand before popping into his bathroom. She came out again quickly, sitting beside him and putting two Advil in the palm of his hand.

The cold, desolate space at the center of his chest warmed a few degrees. "Thank you," he said sincerely, tossing the pills back and swallowing them dry.

Bella shuddered. "That gives me the heebie jeebies," she muttered, leaning over him to grab the water bottle from the nightstand. She handed it to him.

Edward chuckled lightly. "The heebie jeebies, hmm?"

"Every time I've tried that, the pills get stuck in my throat. Ugh."

He just winked at her before he raised the bottle to his lips, taking a long drink. He downed the whole bottle without stopping to breathe.

"Well, since you're awake, I was wondering if it's okay for me to borrow your car," Bella asked when he'd had time to catch his breath again.

Edward tilted his head toward her, raising an eyebrow. "My car?" he echoed dumbly.

"I need to pick up a few things from the store," she said.

Oddly enough, her expression seemed distinctly furtive. He got the distinct impression she was nervous about something.

"If you need something from the store, I can drive you," he offered, feeling out of sorts. He was missing something; he was sure of it.

"No, no," she protested. "You look really tired, Edward. You should nap if you can."

"Nap," he repeated with a laugh. "I don't remember the last time I took a nap during the day," he said wryly.

"Well, today has exhausted me, and they aren't my brothers, my grandfather," she said tightly. The lines of her mouth and around her eyes were hard with anger. "So I can only imagine how you feel."

Hesitating only a moment before he acted, Edward took her hand, giving a light tug. "Then lay down with me again," he entreated.

He saw in her eyes that she wanted to. There was a moment of pure want, but it was tainted by something else.

Guilt?

"I..." She blew out a breath. "That sounds really nice, but I really do have to pick up a few things."

The furtive nervousness was back.

Edward studied her carefully. "What's going on, Bella?"

She bit her lip, looking uncertain. "I called your mother," she blurted finally.

"You what?"

"I told your parents to come over for dinner," she continued, her words faster than normal. "I'm sorry. I know I should have asked you first, but-"

He leaned in, silencing her with a kiss, smirking slightly at the little yelp she gave that was squelched against his lips.

It was amazing how difficult it was to stop kissing her. It was hard to believe their first kiss - their first real kiss - had been less than 12 hours before.

When he raised his head again, he had to laugh at her wide eyed, flush cheeked expression. She blinked sporadically, and he brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek, realizing with no great amount of surprise that he adored her. The simple sight of her shocked face soothed the ache around his heart, tempering the bitter taste in his mouth with sugar-sweetness.

"Don't apologize," he murmured, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.

"You don't mind?" she asked softly. "I really should have asked you first."

"I appreciate that you're trying to take care of me," he said thoughtfully. "As for inviting them over..." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don't know. Sometimes, as you've unfortunately seen, I have a problem with my temper. I've fought with my grandfather and my brothers today. A fight with my parents would round out the day nicely."

"Temper," Bella repeated, the word coming out a little heated. "Only you would call that losing your temper."

He arched an eyebrow. "I broke an antique hall tree," he pointed out. "You can't tell me that was entirely necessary."

"Well," she hedged, squinting her eyes at him. "It wasn't one of your brothers' faces. Other people wouldn't have reacted so cooly."

"Have you seen my brothers?" he asked with a laugh. "That wouldn't have ended so well for me."

"I wouldn't count you out. You've got some killer a- errr."

To his astonishment and delight, she turned a bright, tomato red. "Some killer what?" he prompted, amused.

She ducked her head and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. God. Okay. I mean, you wander around without a shirt on, okay?"

"Meaning?"

Looking up, she pursed her lips as if she was trying not to smile. "You've got nice arm and back muscles, Edward. I bet you could beat them up. Even Emmett because I think you have strength  _and_ cunning going for you."

"Oh, my," he muttered, laughing at her assessment. "You've been checking me out," he accused. He couldn't help but tease her. It felt good that he  _could_ tease her.

She shoved him playfully, looking away from him and holding her other hand to her flushed cheek. "Again. You're the one who wanders around without a shirt on. I have eyes. I'm not going to apologize for that."

"I see. You'll apologize for tattling on my brothers but not ogling me, hmm?"

"That's not... I... You..." she stumbled. Her eyes narrowed when he burst out laughing again. "You suck."

The laugh he felt building in his chest was quickly overshadowing the ache. She made him giddy. It was an odd feeling, not being so poised and polished as he was used to. Odd, but not unwelcome.

In fact, he was revelling in it.

With two fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head up so he could kiss her again, glad when she let him - even though he sucked. She rested her hands flat on his chest, and he stroked her back with his free hand.

He was hungry, he realized. It was a form of hunger he wasn't at all familiar with, and he was surprised at its intensity.

Ravenous. He'd never been so utterly ravenous for another person.

For the first time, their kisses deepened from small, sweet explorations - testing new ground - to something more serious, more heated. He found his hand pressing against the small of her back, pulling her closer.

He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers as he caught his breath. He was confused but not unpleasantly so. He was not used to feeling so out of his depth, and maybe that should have made him uncomfortable, but it didn't. How could it, when he could feel her there in his arms?

"Is it always like this?" he whispered out loud, hardly even aware he'd spoken until she answered.

"For me?" she asked, sounding as though she understood the seemingly senseless question. "No, never. Never before this."

Somehow, the answer made his heart feel full, gave him a satisfaction deeper than even his best accomplishment had provided.

He took a deep breath, reluctantly letting her go, scooting back slightly.

They were going to have to talk about whatever was happening between them. Soon.

But there were other matters to attend to, and the longer he could keep kissing her without inviting any further complication, the better. Perhaps it was a selfish thought, but she was a great comfort to him right then.

He stood, pulling her up with him. "Come on. Let's go get those groceries."

**~0~**

Bella bit the inside of her cheek, feeling extremely guilty. She thought it might help - Edward having his parents to lean on for once - but for reasons she wasn't at all sure she understood, he was more riled up than ever. He was being rather snippy at them.

After that afternoon - he'd been so surprisingly playful - she'd hoped that his anger and sadness had abated somewhat. His irritation was back now with a vengeance.

Perhaps even more surprising was Carlisle's reaction to the whole situation. He was livid - his anger playing off his son's. Between them, storm clouds were brewing. Edward didn't seem to appreciate his father's anger on his behalf. Carlisle either didn't notice this or was simply too angry at Edward the First to care.

Something was bound to give.

Edward slammed his hand down hard on the table, glaring at his father with an expression that was all bitter resentment. "If you wanted to protect me from him, that was something you should have thought of 32 years ago," he shouted.

Bella sucked in a sharp breath and Esme a strangled a little cry at the back of her throat. Carlisle blinked, his expression stunned and hurt.

Both of his elbows on the table, Edward put his head in his hands. "Oh, God. Dad. I didn't mean that. I-"

"No. You did," Carlisle said softly, his tone gentle again. He smiled sadly. "I think I've been waiting for you to say that for at least the last fifteen years."

Edward raised his head, his eyes heavy with guilt.

"It's fine, Edward," Carlisle assured. He blew out a careful breath. "I wasn't trying to protect you. How can I? Done is done." His eyes flashed with livid fury for a moment before he tempered it. "I was just... pissed off."

Carlisle's hands flexed into fists on the tabletop. Her eyes full of sympathy, Esme put her hand over his tense knuckles. He looked up, smiling a small smile as he flipped his hand over, twining their fingers together.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Truly. Even all these years later... 32 years later," he said wryly, "I still remember how it felt being disowned by the man who raised me."

"Disowned?" Edward echoed. "He didn't..."

But he trailed off, realizing those words fit. He stared down at his hands, looking lost for a long moment. Aching for him, Bella put her hand on his knee, squeezing.

"I hate that he did this to you," Carlisle continued.

"It's not the same," Edward returned, looking up. "It's not the same at all."

"It's a father abandoning his son - except you're my son." Carlisle shook his head. "And I hate him all over again. Worse now."

"It's not the same," Edward repeated. He paused and then laughed, the sound containing not a single shred of humor. It hurt to hear it. "Disowned," he muttered. "I've been disowned and left to my own devices with a multimillion dollar mansion. Poor little rich boy," he mumbled his brother's insult from earlier that day.

Bella stroked his knee comfortingly, but as she repeated his words in her head, a thought struck her. "A mansion you hate," she said out loud.

"What?"

She held up a finger, trying to reason through what had occurred to her.

As Bella now understood the situation, this whole thing had come about when Emmett was looking for a place to live after he graduated from the University of Chicago. At the time, they - Emmett and Edward - had had a long discussion about all things adulthood. Amidst all the talk about credit scores, jobs, and home-owning, Emmett had laughed that it must have been nice.

When Edward graduated from high school, he received a car. When he graduated with his bachelors degree, he'd received his inheritance. When he graduated with his masters, his multimillion dollar mansion had been his gift.

"See," Emmett had said, "most people think all they need is a rich grandpa. Turns out, you gotta be Edward for that to work out."

So Edward had laid out a proposal to both his brothers two years before. He would co-sign on condos for them and pay the mortgages that neither of them - at 20 and 22 - could hope to afford just yet.

Both boys had been incredulous, neither used to receiving such extravagant gifts.

Jasper hadn't been at all sure about letting someone else pay for his home - he was proud to be working toward paying his own way through college as it was. But neither could deny it was a great opportunity. It would help them build their credit and give them some freedom, not having to worry about rent, landlords, and roommates.

Edward had promised his generosity came without conditions. They were his brothers, and he was trying right a great wrong in their world, that his grandfather had disinherited them right along with Carlisle.

More than anything, Edward hated going back on his word.

"You hate this mansion," Bella repeated slowly. "You told your brothers that today."

Edward glanced around, his expression almost nervous. "It was never my choice," he hedged.

"And part of your issue was that you wanted to share your inheritance." She looked up, holding his eyes. "So why not sell the house?"

All three of them gaped at her as if she'd grown a second head. Bella ducked down in her seat, ready to excuse away her idea as a foolish impulse when Edward's expression brightened.

"Sell the house... and split the profit."

"It would be more than enough for all of you to get something new," Esme joined in excitedly. "And then some."

"And we would all be on equal ground." Edward shrugged, rolling his eyes slightly. "Well, relatively."

"Are you really thinking about this, Edward?" Carlisle asked, sounding stunned. "You would give away a significant portion of your worth? So to speak."

" _My_ worth?" Edward scoffed. "As Grandfather is so fond of pointing out, he bought this house, not me."

"From your cousin, mind you," Carlisle inserted. "And it's your house, your birthright."

"It's  _your_ birthright, rightfully," Edward argued. He shook his head. "No. Bella's right. I do hate this house. I always have. It's horrendously big and empty."

"Is it really so empty now?" Esme asked, her eyes on Bella. "You do have a family of your own to provide for."

Bella ducked her head as Edward's expression gentled. He glanced at her, taking her hand, his eyes reflecting a soft emotion. "Even split four ways, there will be more than enough money to provide for all of us."

"Four ways?" Carlisle echoed.

Edward looked at his father. "Technically, it should all be yours."

Carlisle and Esme both shook their heads in unison. "We're fine," Esme said.

"We're more than comfortable. Our concern is you and your brothers," Carlisle agreed. "Still, Edward. There are other ways. I think Rosalie and Emmett would be able to afford the payment on their own if they juggle a few things. We," he nodded at Esme as he spoke, "can help Jasper until he figures out what to do. Worst case scenario, they could sell their condos."

Edward shook his head vehemently. "That's not what I want." He ran a restless hand through his hair. "They were real assholes about it this morning, but they were right about one thing: I'm the one that made this commitment to pay for their homes. You remember how wary they were about the whole ordeal a couple of years ago?"

"Naturally," Esme said. "Jasper wasn't even out of college yet. His job barely made his tuition payment, and Emmett was just starting out at the bottom of the ladder." She shook her head. "It was a risk to let you co-sign for them on homes they couldn't afford, and this is exactly why. No one knows what life will bring."

"Life is a risk," Carlisle pointed out. "It's no one's fault."

"No. It's no one's fault," Edward agreed. " It is my responsibility though. I talked them into it. I wanted to do that for them - I still do. And I still have the means to help them.

"Besides, this is exactly what I want. I meant what I said to Grandfather today. I'm done." Edward's lips were set in a hard, thin line. "I want as little to do with him and what he's given me as possible. He wants to disown me, that's fine. I'll disown him right back."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Weeee. Thanks to GinnyW and barburella
> 
> Okay. A couple of notes. First, to my TiAD and Notes readers, I am working on it. As I said, I over extended myself in work and fic life, and the only reason MBM is updating is because I have (had) a good backlog. Le sigh.
> 
> Also, I signed up for Project Team Beta's Smut University. I'll be giving a live interview on June 30th. It's a fun time all around and some great authors are participating. Sign up here: projectteambeta smut-university /


	15. A Little Bit Of Silliness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You guys. I love you guys. Jsyk.

Bella paced, staring out the window for what had to be the hundredth time in the last hour.

In theory, she'd been all for the idea of a boy's night out. The brothers needed the chance to reconnect. There'd been the awkward apologetic phone calls on Sunday from both Jasper and Emmett, and Monday night, Edward had casually mentioned that they wanted to get together for dinner the following day.

Bella's first instinct, however, was a fierce protectiveness. It was almost alarming how positively feral the idea made her when Edward first broached the topic. Once, when travelling with her family in Yosemite National Park, she'd seen a mother bear with her cub out in the wild. Seeing people staring, the mother bear had hustled the cub up a tree and paced below it, her eye always on the growing crowd. Right then, Bella understood how the mother bear must have felt. There was the potential for threat, and she would keep Edward safe at any cost.

He'd been through enough.

But then, Bella knew she couldn't keep him up on a little branch, protected from the world. What a ridiculous idea it seemed - a little girl like her trying to keep the big, bad world from a grown man. And she knew how important, now more than ever, Edward's family was to him. For him, she wanted this lifelong rift to heal. That process had to start somewhere.

So, biting back her reservations, she'd championed the idea.

Edward was more worried about leaving her alone even for a small length of time. She reminded him she'd been alone the first couple of weeks she'd lived with him - before she found her job at Home Depot. He didn't look comfortable, but he'd eventually conceded the point that he did need some alone time with his brothers.

So on Tuesday, Alice had picked Bella up from work and taken her out to dinner. Alice rolled her eyes when she told the story from her point of view. Friday night, she hadn't known what was wrong. Jasper was worked up about something, but he wouldn't say what.

"He radiated guilt all damn weekend, and now I understand why," Alice said, shaking her head. "Men and their pride, right?"

That had been hours before, and Alice had long left. Edward still wasn't back. He'd texted, of course, telling her not to worry - asking if she was okay. To him, she insisted everything was fine.

Privately, Bella was a little freaked out being in the huge house all alone. It was an old house that made the usual range of old-house noises.

And as night fell, how could she help thinking about Edward's warning from some weeks previous?

What if Alec or James were lurking in the darkness, waiting for a moment when she was alone and vulnerable?

Edward wouldn't have left her alone in the house if he didn't believe it was safe. That fact was slightly more comforting in the daylight, though.

Eventually, Bella couldn't stand being in her room anymore. Though she felt ridiculous, she crept into his room instead, glad it wasn't Wednesday - when Leah changed the sheets - so the bed smelled like him instead of fresh linen. She felt a little better in his room, with all the lights on.

Somehow, she must have fallen asleep.

"Shhhh," someone hissed.

The sound made Bella's eyes snap open.

She couldn't make out what was being said, but there was definitely someone in the house. More than one person, actually.

Bella gripped the pillow her hand rested on, her other hand going to her belly, cupping her bump protectively as her heart sped to a gallop. A cold chill of fear went straight down her spine, and she wracked her brain, trying to remember if there was anything heavy she could grab to-

"Dude. Edward, look. She's just fine, ya spaz. And you're going to wake her up."

All her breath left her in a whoosh as she recognized Emmett's voice, and then Edward's. She sat up, watching as Emmett led Edward into the room. "You guys scared me to death!" she complained.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Edward said contritely, stumbling a few steps toward her.

He was slurring.

"Are you drunk?" Bella asked, a little incredulous.

"Ummmm," Edward thought out loud. In any other situation, his furrowed brow would be comical. Bella wasn't sure she was amused.

"It's our fault," Emmett said quickly, herding Edward closer to the bed. "Really. He kept saying no, but we convinced him." He gave her a sheepish smile. "We figured plying him with alcohol was going to be the only way we could get him to let off some steam about Grandpa Prickward."

Edward flopped on the bed rather ungracefully, looking up at Bella with large, almost childlike eyes. "My grandfather's a douche," he said forlornly.

Bella had to hide her smile at that. She tenderly pushed his hair back. "I know," she said softly.

"Do you work tomorrow?" Emmett asked.

Bella shook her head.

"Good. Then if you don't mind waiting, I'll come by after work to drive Edward to his car. Is that okay?"

"What about Edward's work?"

Emmett snickered. "Hey, bro?" he said, smacking Edward's foot to get his attention.

"Hmm?" Edward asked as if being drawn from his own little world.

"Do yourself a favor. Call in sick. If Gramps hasn't gotten Felix to fire you yet, it probably won't happen," Emmett said with a chuckle.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl on his face. "I do good work for Felix," he grumbled.

Bella's heart twisted.

These last couple of days, Edward had been debating on whether or not he should look for another job. It wasn't as though he wasn't qualified to work anywhere else. His cousin was doing him no favor by keeping him employed; Edward worked hard and was good at what he did. But he actually liked working at the family's company. Even if he didn't like Felix as a person, he was a good boss.

It was a point of contention at the current moment, but Emmett couldn't have known that.

"I know you do good work," the larger man said with a laugh. "You can do good work tomorrow when you're not hung over."

"I'm not hung over."

"No. But you will be." Emmett shook his head and looked to Bella. "This guy cannot hold his liquor," he informed her.

"I'm aware," she said wryly. She spared a small smile for the other man. "Thanks for taking care of him."

"Yup. Anyway, I got his keys, so I'll let myself out. No worries."

Emmett left, closing the door to the bedroom behind him. Closing her eyes momentarily, Bella was suddenly glad of her irrational terror before. If Emmett had come in to find her in a different room, there would have been questions that she didn't want to answer.

"Edward," she said softly, stroking his cheek. "Come on. Get under the covers."

He opened his eyes, looking sleepy. "I'm too hot," he mumbled.

Bella snickered. "Well, yes. That's a problem. Did you get hit on a lot at the bar or wherever you were?"

He tilted his head, regarding her with as much seriousness as any drunk fool was capable of. "Doesn' matter," he muttered, reaching up to cup her cheek, his fingers clumsy as he caressed her. "They weren' you."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Bella beat back the urge to laugh at his little declaration. As much as it made her heart soar and speed, his killer lines were not so smooth when they were slurred.

Bella sat up on her knees, looking down at Edward who was looking a little forlorn after his announcement. She stroked his hair away from his forehead, clucking her tongue. "What am I going to do with you?"

All at once, his eyes flashed mischievously, and his hands rested at her waist. "I could think of a few things," he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

Bella sucked in a breath, her heart suddenly racing again. This time, she didn't feel like laughing.

But when Edward sat up, his eyes all but crossed and he lay back down again. "Oh my," he said softly, and Bella had to laugh.

"Come on. Take off your shoes. You'll feel better if you sleep it off."

Edward just shook his head. "I'm fine like this. Tired," he murmured, his eyes fluttering shut.

Shaking her head, Bella leaned down, beginning to untie his shoes. As she did, she felt his hand come to rest on her back, his palm making her feel red hot where he touched her, even through her night shirt. She tried to suppress the shiver of pleasure that went through her, concentrating on her task.

With his fingers stroking lightly, Bella may have taken longer than was absolutely necessary to get his shoes off.

When she was done, though, she turned back to him, taking both his hands and tugging him upright. She glanced at him furtively from under her eyelashes, feeling self conscious in an oddly exciting way. He was watching her, his eyes droopy but intent. His stare was blatant, without even a hint of shame.

There was something in his expression that made Bella's whole body aware – alert. How was she suddenly so desperate for his intimate touch?

Her mouth dry, Bella swallowed hard, raising trembling fingers to the button of his shirt. When he raised his hand to cup her cheek, Bella started slightly.

"I thought you wanted me to sleep it off," he rumbled, the sound low and gravelly.

Bella's stomach was a mess of fluttering butterflies. "I'm just trying to make you comfortable. You can't sleep in your shirt from work."

He continued to watch her as she made her way down his chest. Her eyes were frozen in his gaze. It was something of a miracle her fingers kept working because her thoughts were completely blank. There were no words in her head, just emotion.

She wanted to kiss him, but she was afraid of what it might mean in the climate around them.  
She slid his shirt off his shoulders, skimming the outline of his muscles with the pads of her fingers. It was strange. She'd seen him shirtless many times, but with his undershirt on, he seemed more naked at that moment than he'd ever been.

Edward tilted his head, leaning down to capture her lips.

There was usually a sort of grace to their kisses. They moved in sync with each other, and Edward was always so tender with her. These kisses didn't lack for tenderness, but there was something off about them. They were a little too aggressive – only slightly – to let her enjoy the moment completely.

And she could taste the alcohol on his breath just as she had been able to the night they met.  
It was an unwelcome reminder of their beginnings. Guilt washed over Bella, dampening the desire that had begun to take over her actions. She bowed her head, cutting off their kiss as she tried to think clearly.

With everything else going on, they hadn't talked about what their little kisses meant.  
It was the most wonderful kind of confusing. It was a giddiness that she hadn't wanted to disrupt – exhilarating and terrifying all at once. She had no idea what she was doing here with him. She had no idea how to gauge if it was right or if it was several levels of fucked up. It felt right. Nothing had ever felt more right, but when she looked at things in black and white, things couldn't look more wrong.

He was lonely and she'd taken advantage of him in more ways than one.

As a direct result of her letting him get married in Vegas, she'd set off a chain reaction that had caused fights with his grandfather and his brothers.

"Bella?" he asked, trying to coax her to look at him.

"Let's get some sleep, okay?" she said gently without looking him in the eye.

She wasn't stupid. She knew he didn't blame her for the things that had happened after she came to live with him. She knew the fights with his brothers and his grandfather had been brewing for years if not decades, and their marriage was merely a catalyst. Most of all, she knew that when Edward kissed her, he did it for no other reason than he wanted to.  
But with the tension that was crackling and spitting like a live fire between them, Bella understood that things could go further than a few simple kisses. As much as she wanted him, he was – again – drunk, and she wasn't about to take another choice away from him.

And besides that, she knew she had to be responsible. Her life wasn't her own anymore. She had her baby to think about. Nothing was as simple as what she wanted.

Standing, Bella took both Edward's hands, pulling him up with her. She turned the blankets of his bed down. She couldn't help her chuckle when she turned to find him staring at her with the most perplexed expression.

But Edward was obedient when he was drunk and sleepy. He climbed in bed but scooted all the way to the other side. Before she could back away, he'd wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "Come to bed," he murmured. "Let's sleep."

His smile, as he looked up at her, was so gentle, Bella couldn't help but smile back. "Sleep?" she asked, just checking.

He nodded, and Bella relented. Before she climbed in bed, she turned off the light. Instantly, Edward wrapped her in the protective circle of his arms. He sighed as if in contentment, kissing her forehead once before he slipped into a heavy sleep.

For a long while, Bella lay awake, running her fingers over the lines of his face and into his hair, just trying not to think how temporary this all could be.

**~0~**

Edward couldn't help the twinge of apprehension that twisted in his belly. It had been a long, very draining week.

He was wise enough to recognize some of his actions the previous week as rebellion. Finding a realtor and moving forward to put his mansion on sale was at least a logical step. Getting drunk with his brothers was not as wise. If nothing else, he could tell it bothered Bella more than she was willing to let him know.

Despite a hell of a headache and a little wariness on Bella's part, Wednesday had been a good day. As Emmett suggested, he'd called in sick to work and slept with Bella at his side until almost noon. She'd seemed a bit distant at first, and he felt bad when she admitted it was difficult for her, remembering how terrified she'd been the first night they spent together.

Her admission had a sobering effect, reminding him exactly how they'd come together.

They seemed to be entering an odd half life. What was making him nervous that day was the idea of having to play husband and wife in front of his business associates while they were only just beginning to look at each other with more than friendly intentions.

But his worries faded away, at least for that afternoon.

Felix had been right: the company picnic was a lot more enjoyable as a family man.

Jane, Felix's wife, was rude, but that was Jane. Everyone else seemed to accept Bella easily. Of course, as his cousin had pointed out, they were just co workers. There was no reason for them not to be friendly.

Edward watched intently as Bella tried to make her way to the restroom only to be stopped by several of his coworkers who were curious about the reclusive Edward Cullen's mystery wife.

"Married life suits you."

Edward glanced over at his cousin with a raised eyebrow, not arguing, but wondering what he meant.

Felix chuckled, gesturing with his chin to where Bella was talking with a couple - Demetri and his partner, Santiago. "It's written all over your face when you look at her." He waggled his eyebrows, his expression moving closer to a leer. "Although, who's to blame you. She's quite pretty."

Rolling his eyes – he'd actually been bizarrely insulted that Felix hadn't made a lecherous comment to that point – Edward smiled lopsidedly. "She's more than pretty."

"Of course. And she has that lovely glow about her, too." He clapped the younger man on the back. "I'm happy for you, Edward. Truly. There are merits to being alone, though you know well enough that it's not my preference." Felix looked thoughtful, his eyes straying to his own wife. "Sometimes I think a person may have much but without someone to share it with, it may as well be nothing."

Edward turned those words over and over in his head. His boss and cousin had a point. His wealth and success had never given Edward any sense of joy. It wasn't that he'd been miserable before Bella, but he certainly had never been this happy.

Finally disengaging herself from Demetri and Santiago, Bella returned to his side, a smile lighting her features when her eyes caught his. Edward extended his hand, taking hers as she sat beside him.

"Ah, Bella. It's good you're back. I was just telling your husband how nice it was to see him so relaxed. He stood, clapping Edward once on the shoulder. "Now see what you can do about correcting this problem of his."

"Edward has a problem?" Bella asked, sounding both concerned and amused.

"It seems that he's allergic to the camera. His office is devoid of pictures of his growing family." Felix chuckled and gestured toward the photo booth across the grass. "Here's an excellent opportunity."

In a playful mood, Edward stood, taking his cousin's suggestion and pulling Bella over to the booth.

"What?" he asked gently, amused by the sheepish look on her face.

"It's a little silly, isn't it? Playing dress up?" The light pink blush that tinged her cheeks was lovely, prompting him to brush his fingers lightly over the curve of her face.

"I think that's the point, Bella," he said quietly, picking a pretty shawl and wrapping it about her shoulders.

Their eyes lingered on each other, and Bella's self-conscious expression melted slightly. She reached over, grabbing a top hat and placing it carefully on his head. The smile tugging at the edges of her lips bloomed as she giggled.

It was such a wonderful sound, Edward couldn't help but lean forward, brushing the tip of her nose with his lips.

Pulling back, he plucked an old time hat – the kind with lace and feathers coming off the top of it – off the rack and placed it gingerly atop her head, fitting the combs so they wouldn't pull. She held out a smart looking jacket for him to slide into.

Glancing in the mirror, they both looked like mischievous children. Snickering, Edward grabbed a monocle and a string of grandmother-sized pearls before he took her hand, leading her into the photo booth.

Bella must have seen what he saw because she quickly stifled her laughter, squaring her shoulders as he helped her fasten the string of pearls around her neck. She pursed her lips to keep from laughing again when he put on the monocle, grinning at her briefly before he turned to the camera with a similarly serious expression.

They looked like the full color version of the black and white photos of the past, where everyone was posed with ramrod straight posture and dour expressions. They glanced at each other, tapering down grins to take the first set of photos.

He turned to her, letting the monocle drop and tipping the ridiculous hat off her head. Winding his hands in the end of her shawl, he pulled her closer. She looked so happy as she tilted her head up, expecting his kiss. He hardly heard the click, click, click of the camera as he first brushed her lips, then lingered with his mouth on hers, their kisses sweet and unhurried.

Some minutes later, Edward bit the inside of his cheek staring down at the resulting pictures.

The couple in the picture were very much in love. It was plain even in the glow on their skin and the way they looked at each other. The open adoration in their eyes was breathtaking, and their happiness with each other was a tangible thing.

When he felt her hand brush his, Edward wrapped his fingers around hers. He chanced a glance at her, finding she looked much like he felt: feverish and uncertain about what he was seeing, what the right thing to do was.

She came to him in trouble. Was it taking advantage of her, to want... more?

Tugging on her hand, Edward led her away from the photo booth. They were both quiet as they walked, clinging to each other. Something was changing between them; he could feel it where their hands were joined, a thrill that made his blood sing.

Or maybe it was her blood singing for him.

It was terrifying, but Edward wasn't about to run from it as long as she wasn't running from him.

"Bella?"

She looked over.

"Will you let me take you out?"

She blinked at him, looking bewildered. He almost took it back. "Like a date?"

"Yeah..."

She pressed her lips together, and Edward feared she was insulted until she burst out laughing.

"What? "

"I just don't know what's more messed up. Dating in my condition or dating the man I'm married to."

He brought her hands up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Well, the man you're married to doesn't mind dating someone in your condition."

Her smile was genuine and blinding. "In that case... Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to Shug, jfka06, and barburella
> 
> Welp... that about does it for my cushion... EEEP.


	16. House Hunting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Y'all... Snow White and the Huntsman was AWESOME. Go see it! It was so great to see such strong female characters. Both Kristen and Charlize were very powerful characters. I loved it. It wasn't without issues, but overall just great!

The break room was empty for once, and Bella was glad.

After so many years of being mostly alone, it honestly surprised Bella that she didn't feel smothered. Except for the fact Home Depot occasionally scheduled her days off during the week, she hadn't really been alone since Edward found her in Vegas. It was odd how quickly she'd grown used to his presence.

It was frightening how... essential to her he was becoming.

But occasionally, she did need her solitude, especially when it came to the call she was about to make.

"Bella!" Jacob Black, Bella's best friend in Forks, picked up on the second ring.

Bella smiled and closed her eyes, feeling a brief moment of homesickness at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Jake."

Jacob was the one person in Forks - well, near Forks - that would have believed her story. They'd been best friends since they were children. When she ran, Bella had first considered going to Jake for help, but that wouldn't have been fair at all. Jacob was two years her junior and still in high school.

He was the one she'd called when she finally stopped driving the first night. She'd told him a lie - that she just needed time - and asked him to tell her mother she was okay. The last thing she needed was to be reported missing.

Since then, she'd called one more time, letting him know she was still alive and doing well. She'd been in Chicago by then, and she still didn't know if she'd believed the words coming out of her mouth.

"How's Mom?" she asked eagerly.

"Same as last time," Jacob said quietly. "She was glad to hear you were okay, but she doesn't understand why you don't call her directly."

Bella closed her eyes against the sting of tears that threatened. She longed to hear her mother's voice again. "Do you know..." She took a deep breath, willing her voice to remain steady. "Do you know if Alec has been around?"

"Your cop friend?" Jacob scoffed. He was one of the only people Bella knew that had never fallen under Alec's spell. "Oh, yeah. He and your mom are BFFs since you took off. She tells everyone what a great comfort he is."

Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, Bella tried to keep calm. It was no less than what she'd expected, and it frightened her more than she wanted to admit. Even though she was far, far away from Forks, she looked around nervously, as if he would pop out from behind the vending machine.

"I don't understand why you care about him, anyway. Did you know, when your mom told him that I'd spoken to you, he was all over me about it? He was asking me questions like he was interrogating a suspect in your disappearance."

Bella let out a startled cry. "Oh, Jake. I'm so sorry. I didn't think he'd... Did he..."

"Whoa. Bella, calm down." There was a pause on the other end of the line before he spoke again. "What aren't you telling me, Bells?"

Bella bit her lip hard and didn't answer.

"Is there something going on between you and this creep? Is that why you-"

"N-no," Bella lied. "No. I just didn't think he'd bug you, that's all. I know you don't like him."

"Well, he's a prick. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to freak out about it, but when you left, before you called me, he had your mom all worked up. He said you'd been to his house and you were acting all crazy, like you were on drugs or something." He snorted. "I told Renee that I'd know if you were on drugs."

"On drugs," Bella repeated scathingly. "No. Please tell Mom I'm fine."

"Of course. I did before." He paused. "Are you really okay?"

Bella cocked her head considering that question honestly. "Yeah. I really am," she said, realizing with some shock that it was true. "I'm right where I want to be."

~0~

"Flatscreen. A big one."

Edward smiled indulgently at Emmett, resisting the urge to shake his head.

"Careful," Carlisle said warningly. "I know it's a lot of money, but you can whittle it all away to nothing quite easily.

"I know that, Pop," Emmett said easily. He reached over with a grin, grabbing Rosalie's hand. "We're going to pay off our school loans, pay off the condo, the rest of the wedding, and make a few wise investments." He grinned widely. "Namely, we're going to invest in a flatscreen."

"So you're keeping the condo then?" Esme asked.

"It seems like the best idea for now. We're both swamped at work, and wedding plans are time consuming," Rosalie inserted with a shrug. "There's no rush."

"And you shouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched," Edward added. "The house hasn't sold yet. Who knows. It may linger on the market for months."

Emmett waved his hand, unconcerned.

"And have you two decided what you're going to do?" Esme asked, looking at Jasper and Alice.

"Speaking about not counting chickens before they're hatched, I'm a little more worried about keeping up the payments on the condo for the time being," Jasper admitted.

Edward tried not to feel hurt, reminding himself that it was wise for Jasper not to depend on getting the portion of the money Edward had promised. They'd had several long discussions, hashing out old hurts and misconceptions. Jasper was right to be wary if only because anything could happen; life proved to be uncertain. His worry didn't stem from mistrust in Edward's intentions.

Old defensiveness died hard, but they were all working on it.

As if she sensed his moment of tension, Bella - sitting beside him - ran her hand up and down his back. Smiling, Edward turned to her, thanking her silently with a soft kiss to her cheek.

It still left him a bit awestruck, the power she had over him. Here they sat at a table in a busy Mexican restaurant, surrounded by his family, and yet with a single touch, everything faded away. He was only tangentially aware of his parents assuring Jasper they had the means to help him make ends meet until everything was settled. He saw nothing but the woman beside him: her shy smile that was only his and the light in her eyes, the reflection of adoration that was forever caught in the photo that now sat on desk at work.

Edward blinked sporadically as a sharp chip hit him on the cheek. He looked over to find Emmett cracking up.

"Stop ogling your wife and pay attention to your mother," Emmett said, going for a stern expression.

Turning his head, Edward saw that indeed her mother was looking at him with a bemused look. "Sorry, Mom," he said contritely. "Can you repeat the question?"

"If I must." Esme's tone was teasing. "Have you had time to look into homes?"

Edward and Bella exchanged a glance. Her hand slipped down off his back, falling to her side again.

"Erm. No, to be honest," Edward admitted.

"Do you know what you're going to look for?" Alice asked. "When Jasper and I look, we're going to find a place that has a little extra room for each of us."

"Because you, my girl, have horrendous hobbies." Jasper tightened his arm around Alice's shoulders, grinning at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and Edward was glad when the spotlight shifted away from him and Bella again.

_**~0~** _

Later on that evening, Edward was considering the elephant in the room.

He sat with his laptop open, supposedly searching the MLS for a new home - his home.

Really, he was surreptitiously watching Bella. She sat on the floor, her back against the couch. Her hair was loose, flowing over one shoulder while she idly played with a strand, her eyes on the movie screen and a hilariously serious expression as she watched.

Technically, they'd kissed for the first time only four weeks before.

Technically, they'd only been on a few dates, trying to figure out how they worked at a couple. At least, that's what he assumed they were doing. Unwisely, he knew, they had yet to clarify that.

Which was probably why he found himself in such a quandary.

How did one ask his girlfriend of a few weeks - who was also his wife of 11 weeks - to move in with him? How did he tell her he didn't want to find his home, he wanted to find their home?

Shoving himself off the couch, he sat on the floor beside her, balancing his laptop on his knees. "I need your help."

Bella looked at him curiously. "With?"

"I've never searched for a home."

She snorted. "And I have?"

He nudged her lightly. "Just help me," he said, showing her the page with the home search on it.

Rolling her eyes, she nonetheless snuggled close to him for a better look. Smiling, he draped his arm over her shoulder.

"See, I can't tell one neighborhood of Chicago from another," she said, shaking her head.

"Just for your information, the neighborhood we live in is otherwise known as Gold Coast."

"That figures."

He smiled gently. "Just leave it on all neighborhoods. I'm not set on staying here. It's the other things I can't figure out in any event."

Skipping over price, he hit the drop down. "Bedrooms?"

"I guess that depends what you want your home for," Bella said slowly. When he chanced a glance at her, he noticed she wasn't looking at him. There was a strange tone to her voice as she spoke again. "If you're looking for a house just for you for the time being..."

"I want..." He trailed off, taking a deep breath before he plunged ahead. "I want a home that's ready for a family."

She nodded. "Right. It would look weird if you bought a place while they still think we're married." She frowned at the thought. "I wonder if I could find a little apartment on my salary. And then we could tell them, and you wouldn't have to-"

"Bella," he protested, curling her closer to him. His throat was suddenly tight. "Is that what you really want?"

For a few painful heartbeats, she was quiet, gathering her thoughts. "What I want is for you to have a choice. This is your house. You've made it clear that you hate this house because it wasn't your choice. I don't want to be your grandfather all over again. I don't want you to have to choose a house that's big enough for a family just because everyone else thinks we're married."

He opened his mouth to speak but she pushed ahead quickly, her words flowing so fast he had to listen intently to hear them all. Her face was flushed; she was blushing, but why?

"Maybe... I've been thinking that if we're going to continue to do this, if we're going to try to be an us-" she brushed her fingertips over his cheek tenderly "-maybe it would be better to start over. No more lies. We could come clean... I could come clean to your family, and we can do things right. Equal."

Edward was quiet for a moment, taking the time to brush her hair out of her eyes. His heart had stopped for a few beats when he thought she was trying to leave him completely. He kissed her forehead, understanding that she wanted what she had wanted all along - to be more stable than she could be at the present time.

"I've had quite a bit of time to think about right and wrong," he murmured finally. "All things being equal... Yes, things could be very different. But all things aren't equal, Bella. The more I've had time to think about everything that's happened - to you, to my family - nothing is ever equal."

He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "I hope you understand, you don't come up with the shorter end of the stick - not by a long shot."

She scoffed. With a small sigh, he kissed her softly. "You don't. Look at what has happened these last weeks and tell me with a straight face that I have my life in any kind of great order."

Understanding lit her eyes. When she didn't answer, Edward pressed on. "And some things haven't changed." He let his hand rest over her little bump. "I'm still worried for your safety, and Bean's. I just don't think it's wise to change things yet. As it is, wherever we go, the neighborhood security wouldn't be as good as it is here."

A glint of fear flashed through her eyes. "You really think they'd come for me after all this time?"

"I think I don't want to take that chance," he said quietly. The pads of his fingers played along her cheek bone. "You are precious to me, Bella. I told you before: what happens behind closed doors, what happens between us, is only our business. It's easier for me to keep you safe, to keep Bean safe, with our original arrangement."

As he spoke, he tilted his head closer toward her, his tone getting quieter, more fervent.

"Say you'll stay with me," he whispered, his lips so close to hers he could feel the heat of her breath.

Her hand against his neck, she sighed. "I don't want to leave," she admitted and kissed him sweetly.

Relieved, he kissed her back. It was a slow kiss, a serious kiss, and he wondered if she knew all the things he didn't have words to say. He wondered what staying meant to her - if it meant the same as it did to him.

When he broke the kiss, he only pulled away enough to rest his forehead against hers, his eyes closed for a moment. He nuzzled the side of her face with his nose, breathing her in once more before he got back to business.

"Three bedrooms then," he decided. "At least."

**~0~**

Not for the first time, Bella observed that her life was more than a little surreal.

Here she was, two weeks shy of her 21st birthday, holding her husband's hand as they toured homes with his mother - Bella's mother-in-law.

She had a mother-in-law.

Still, she felt a little awkward. Naturally, Esme directed many questions at her, pointing out this feature or that, pointing out rooms that would make good nurseries or offices and urging them to take future children into consideration before they decided how many rooms they wanted.

Bella gave her opinion, but did her best to redirect so the focus was on Edward. Yes, she thought this little nook was charming, or she liked the sloping ceilings of this guest room, but what did he think?

"This kitchen leaves much to be desired, but the rest of the house is fabulous!" Esme said, tapping her lips thoughtfully.

"It would be easy to redo this kitchen," Bella said absentmindedly.

"What were you thinking?" Esme asked.

"Oh." she blushed, realizing too late she'd spoken out loud. It had been an idle thought. "Just... look at the wide windows here." She gestured to the front of the kitchen. "This room has great lighting but the paint is too dark. I would strip it and go with something a little more blond, maybe? Oooh!" She brightened. "Or even better, make the cabinets glass faced. That would play off the light very well."

Esme was staring at her with wide eyes. Edward laughed. "Bella wants to go into interior design," he explained.

"What a fantastic idea."

Edward turned to the realtor. "Mark this house as a maybe."

As they turned to leave, Esme looped her arm through Bella's, pulling her closer. "So why is this the first time I'm hearing about you wanting to be an interior designer? I have a little experience in this area you know."

"I don't know that I've thought it out all the way," Bella hedged. Again, this was awkward territory. How could she explain to Esme that she was trying to find some sense of security on her own, for herself and her baby, without Edward's assistance? Most people wouldn't think twice about letting their very capable, very well paid husbands foot the bill for school. There was no way she could go to school on her own. Thinking about things like breaking into a career were so far out of her reach presently. "A lot has changed very quickly, and I haven't had time to plan for much." She touched her palm to her belly, her heart twisting.

Some days - most days - she still felt so unprepared to be someone's mother.

"Oh, of course." Esme patted her hand. "Forgive me, sweetheart. Sometimes I forget how new you are to this family." She cocked her head, considering Bella for a moment.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw Edward smile. It was a grin that made whatever awkwardness she felt at the situation fade away.

"I know what you mean," he said quietly, speaking to his mother but looking right at Bella. "I can't remember life before her."

Bella pressed her lips together, but still she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

Esme chuckled. "Well, there's no rush. Concentrate on the baby. When you're ready to think about it - if and when that day comes - you let me know. I can put you in touch with the right people, the right schools."

"I'll think about it," Bella promised.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to Shug and Ginny. I have no idea how you two are so patient with me, willing to discuss tiny nuances for HOURS on end. And thanks to Baburella - you make me laugh.
> 
> So! I know it was a shorter chappy, but we have a lot going on next chap, including finding out the sex of the baby. I'm so excited. I love surprises!
> 
> Oh, wait. I'm the author. I already know what Bella's having.
> 
> Also - dear mycrookedsmile: I told you I'd update today!


	17. Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: FAQ: Will I be in Vegas.
> 
> A: Yes.
> 
> Ermmm. So none of you has pitchforks in your hands, right? Okay. Let's do this.

When he figured out that Bella was having nightmares, Edward took to sleeping with his bedroom door open. He'd read that vivid dreams were common during pregnancy. Unfortunately, hers tended toward the darker side.

One night, he thought he heard a whimper. He got out of bed, walking slowly to his door, listening. Bella groaned. Edward walked faster across the hallway. He hesitated for a moment, his hand on the knob of her door, but when he heard her cry out, he went in.

The blankets were entirely twisted around her legs. Her face was pinched as she clenched her fists in the single sheet that clung to her upper body. "Don't," she begged. "Please don't."

Edward's heart broke as he watched her struggle with invisible monsters. Stepping to her bedside, he sat, catching her flailing arms.

"No. No! Let me go!" she cried, and he let her yank her arms away.

"Bella." He shook her shoulders.

She gasped as she sat up straight, her bleary eyes opening. "Get away from me! I'm not yours. I'm not yours!" she cried, skittering away from him until her back was up against the headboard.

For a wild moment, he thought she was actually talking to him. Her words were like a sucker punch to his gut, and he sucked in a sharp breath. The next moment, though, she blinked sporadically. "Edward?" she asked, her voice small and uncharacteristically thin.

"You're okay, sweet girl," he said quietly, stroking her cheek, carefully sitting back against the headboard. She was trembling visibly, her tears gathered beneath her long eyelashes. He waited while she caught her breath.

Lucidity came back to her slowly, but when she'd gathered her wits a little, she edged closer to him, winding her arms around his neck. He ran his hands up and down her back, just holding her while she shook. Rocking slowly, he kissed the side of her head every so often.

Minutes passed before her grip loosened and she turned her head, kissing him back in a tiny motion. She laid her head on his shoulder, sniffling quietly. "The bed's a mess," she muttered.

His hand against the back of her head, he gave her forehead a lingering kiss. "Come to my room tonight."

She raised her head, looking at him with teary eyes and nodded. "I would really like that," she whispered.

He helped her untangle her feet. They walked across the hallway, fingers tightly entwined. When they stopped by the side of the bed he took her face in his hand, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Her eyes were still bloodshot, but she smiled. Smiling back, he kissed her, slow and tender.

Even though they both knew what drove her nightmares, it was surprisingly easy to find happiness when he was kissing her, when she was in his arms like this, her hands warm on his bare back. He could feel the hardness of her belly between them.

She made him so happy, and when he opened his eyes, she looked happy to be in his arms, kissing him. He brushed his lips over the tired skin of her eyes, tasting the salt left over from her tears. "Come on," he murmured. "There's still time to get some sleep."

Reaching past her, he turned down the blankets, holding them while she climbed into bed. Her smile was indulgent, and for once, she didn't try to stop him from taking care of her. When he got in bed, she rolled over, snuggling closer to him.

He stroked her cheeks, brushed his fingers through her hair. "You've had a lot of nightmares this week."

"I know. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't." He traced the line of her nose with the tip of his finger. "I was thinking, though. If you wanted, you could sleep with me. I mean here," he said quickly, feeling his cheeks warm. "I mean... it seems to make you feel better when you're here with me. Just sleep. I promise to keep my hands to myself."

She laughed, ducking her head. "I'm sorry. It's a little funny, isn't it? My husband luring me to his bed with the promise not to touch me?"

Looking down, she spread her hand, resting it lightly on his chest. In the quietness of the room, he heard the stutter in her breath as she drew her fingers down. "What if..." Her eyes flitted up to his, and even in the low light that filtered in from the open window, he could see her expression - nervous and yet...

Hungry.

If he had to imagine what he looked like when he was ravenous for her, when he had to take a breath and step back because if he didn't, he would want to go too far, he thought he might look exactly like she did then.

Instantly, his mouth went dry. "What if?" he asked, his voice gravely.

She took a deep breath. "What if I didn't want you to keep your hands to yourself?"

Edward swallowed hard. He cupped her cheek. "Bella..."

It was no less than what he wanted, what he'd wanted for what felt like forever. He wondered if she had any idea how difficult it was sometimes not to let his hands wander where they wanted. More than once, he'd dreamed of what it would be like to be inside her, to show her the things he felt that he didn't know how to say out loud.

He drew his hand along her side, curling his fingers around her hip.

Hungry. So hungry.

Once she'd planted the seed, it was impossible not to act. They both shifted, coming together with urgent kisses. Her hands were wonderful against his bare skin, her every touch sending a thrill through him. And God, the tiny moans as they kissed, as his hands ran up her sides, under her shirt and his fingers skimmed the undersides of her breasts, were working him up quicker than he would have believed was possible.

"Bella," he rumbled breathlessly, using his nose to tilt her chin up so he could kiss along her neck.

Words.

He was missing something important.

"Oh," she cried softly and gasped when he circled her nipple with one finger. Edward couldn't help but grin. He'd been very detailed in his research. One of the reasons he hadn't tried to go further than their, as of late, very thorough kisses was because he knew some pregnant women couldn't stand the thought of sex and others...

Well, it seemed he could add breast sensitivity to her list of symptoms. She certainly wasn't complaining. In fact, she leaned back, her hand on his shoulder pulling him with her. She reached down between them, pulling her nightshirt off.

He paused, hovering above her, tracing a path from the graceful lines of her neck, across her collarbone, down between her breasts, lingering at the hard swell of her stomach.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered with reverent awe. The words didn't seem like enough. He didn't know the right words to describe what he felt. She was so fresh, so young, and the look in her eyes, the way she bit her lip and flushed pink at his simple praise, was deceivingly innocent.

He was so helplessly wrapped around her finger, and he didn't think she really knew it.

He leaned down, propped up on one arm to keep his weight off her while he kissed her. His free hand stroked the length of her body, running a finger along the hem of her pajama pants. Her head tilted with his, her fingers tousling his hair as her body moved under him, urging his hand down where they both wanted him to be.

It took him unforgivably long to realize her fevered wiggling had turned to writhing, and her wanton moans to frightened whimpers. Her body - stiff and frozen with obvious apprehension - broke through his hunger, and he backed off her quickly, sitting up on his knees. "Bella?"

She had a hand over her eyes, the other hand gripping the blankets close to her - up to her chin. She was trembling visibly, her mouth open slightly as her breaths came in wheezes.

Edward's heart twisted. Any arousal he'd felt disappeared completely when he saw the way she cowered, scooting to the very edge of the bed. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Her frustrated growl cut him off. "I wanted to... Believe me I  _want_ to. I don't know what's wrong with me." There was a tremor to her voice. Even under the blankets, he could see her shoulders were hunched - the way she used to carry herself when they'd first met.

With a soft sigh, he reached over, turning on the light. She hunkered down even further, her head tucked into her chest. Edward looked around, locating her nightshirt. She flinched a little when he touched her shoulder, but sat up, letting him slip it back on. "I'm sorry," she said under her breath, her voice thin.

"What could you possibly have to be sorry for?" He stroked her cheek gently, aching for her and wishing she would look up. "It's completely understandable."

At that, she did look up, her eyes confused and frustrated. "Understandable? Well, maybe you should let me in on it, because I don't understand at all."

Carefully, he shifted, keeping his eyes steady on her so he could be sure she was okay with him touching her. He sat against the headboard, wrapping his arm around her for the second time that night. To his relief, she let him, laying her head trustingly against his side.

"It's understandable because of what he... what Alec did to you," he said gently.

Under his arm, her body went rigid again for a moment, and her breath strangled in her throat. "What do you mean? What does that have to do with this? He went psychopathic on me after we... After..."

Over the months, he'd wondered if this was something he should try to talk to her about. She seemed to be handling things so well, but Edward knew that some wounds hid deep, only rearing their heads under certain stimuli.

Cupping her cheek, he tilted her head up so he could look at her. For a long moment, he didn't speak, searching for the right words. "Do you understand that he took advantage of your vulnerability, that what he did was only dubiously consensual?" he asked gently.

There was a whine to her breath, and she shifted away from him, bringing her knees up close to her chest and looking in the opposite direction. He was relieved and a little surprised that she didn't shake off his arm. "I didn't say no," she muttered.

"You did say no, actually." He brushed her hair back tenderly. "Remember what you told me? He started kissing you, and you told him to stop. He didn't. You were bereft and not thinking straight... and he had to have known that if you had been, you never would have given in to him."

She'd begun to tremble again. Her eyes were shut tight.

"And maybe that would have been okay, except he used what should have been a gift against you, used it to claim some kind of ownership over you," he finished. "That was what happened the last time you let someone touch you. Of course you're going to be wary."

She raised her head, and he saw that her eyes were tortured. "But I trust you," she whispered. "You would never do what he did."

"No. I would never - I will never - hurt you." He kissed the top of her head. "And I'm glad you know that. But your body isn't convinced, that's all."

"That's all," Bella repeated, her tone acidic, but she sighed, leaning against him again. "I hate him," she admitted in a whisper.

Edward felt a flash of red hot anger go down his spine, and he held her tighter. "I do, too."

**~0~**

Bella sucked in a sharp breath, readjusting herself on the examination table.

"What is it?" Edward asked from beside her, his hand on her arm. She turned to him, and he smiled widely. "Is Bean moving again?"

His smile helped quell some of the anxiety she felt. She nodded. She'd felt the baby move for a few days now and still wasn't used to it.

Edward slipped his hand beneath her shirt, putting his hand over her stomach though he knew damn well he couldn't feel, as much as he'd been trying.

"It really does feel like butterflies," she observed, more talking out loud than anything. "Or like she's doing somersaults."

He looked up at her. "You think it's a girl, then?"

Her smile faltered, and she looked down, toying idly with the crinkly paper covering the exam table.

"Bella?" Edward said, his voice soft, quiet. He took her hand.

She couldn't look at him.

Her own words from a few nights before echoed in her head. How much she hated Alec. She hated how scared he made her, how what he'd done - how filthy he made her feel - had shattered the intimacy she'd shared with Edward.

Picturing Alec's face in her mind made her furious, made her skin crawl.

What if the baby she carried was anything like him? Boy or girl, what if her baby looked like the man she hated, the man who'd hurt her?

To that point, before she could feel it move, she'd been protecting it on instinct alone. It was a fierceness she didn't know how to explain. It was a desperate need that had driven her to marry a complete stranger - not for herself, but so Alec might not ever find, ever claim the innocent life inside her as his.

But feeling it move inside her, it was all becoming a reality instead of an idea, a baby instead of an instinct.

She was terrified she would hate her baby when she could actually hold it in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Edward stroked her cheek gently.

Bella glanced at him and nodded. "I'm fine," she said quietly. She tried smiling at him. "Need to pee."

It wasn't a lie, of course, but the look in his eye told her he wasn't fooled. Luckily, the technician came in then.

"Hello Mommy, Daddy," she said with a smile. "Sorry about the wait."

"It's no problem," Bella said.

"Ha." The technician pursed her lips. "Let's get this done. I'm sure you must be getting antsy."

"A little," Bella admitted.

The technician sat at the side of the bed, opposite Edward. She tugged up Bella's shirt, exposing the expanse of skin she needed.

"We're finding out the sex, right? Assuming we can get the little one to cooperate?" the technician asked.

Bella swallowed hard and nodded.

"So what are you hoping for, Daddy?" she asked conversationally, glancing up at Edward as she drew the wand over Bella's stomach. "A little boy to play ball with?"

Edward chuckled. "That would be nice, but no. A little girl who looks exactly like Bella would be perfect."

Bella looked up, and Edward winked. She couldn't help but smile. He was trying to make her feel better. It was working.

The technician gave them an indulgent look. "Well, it looks like you got your wish." She tapped at the screen. "This right here looks like a daddy's girl."

Edward's hand tightened, and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "A little girl," he repeated. "A mini you."

Suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, Bella had to wipe tears from her eyes. She was smiling. "A girl," she repeated, her voice slightly awed and slightly scared.

She wanted to bask in the happy images that came to mind - a pretty little girl in her arms with hair curly like Charlie's; that giggle that only little girls could master, all sunshine and happy things; being able to see her own eyes, her father's eyes, staring back at her from a tiny face.

But mixed in with that potential, she also recalled the pictures she'd seen in Alec's house of himself and his twin sister when they were younger. She saw a tiny girl with Alec's jet black hair and his sister's scowl, with their severe, though not unattractive, features.

 _ **~0~**_.

"Dammit," Edward muttered under his breath. He tapped one foot restlessly against the floor of the car. The other foot was very firmly planted on the brakes.

Traffic was at a standstill.

Edward was not a very patient man when it came to traffic. He preferred going fast. Not moving put him on edge as it was. Making matters worse, he was very late to pick up Bella. She'd gotten off work half an hour before.

It wouldn't have been a big deal except she'd had the night shift that evening. The hour was late. As it was, she got out of work half an hour after Home Depot closed. Edward was not comfortable with the idea she was alone at night, even if the area was well lit.

He had the proverbial bad feeling. It was an itch under his skin, a creeping along his spine. Something was wrong.

But every time he texted Bella, she assured him she was fine. Unless he could figure a way to make his car fly, he'd be better off just calming down.

He tapped out a rapid, anxious tattoo on the steering wheel, growling as he slumped down in his seat to wait.

_**~0~** _

Bella was not surprised when the song she'd been listening to was interrupted by the chime alerting her she had a text message. She sighed, giving the phone a patient expression, knowing full well who was texting. Again.

It was sweet of Edward to be so worried about her.

_**Maybe it's best if you wait for me at the restaurant on the corner.** _

Bella twisted her lips. She'd been enjoying the relatively warm air. Mid-September nights in Forks were never this mild. But as she thought of the restaurant in question, her stomach gave a loud rumble, already anticipating the delicious nachos they served there.

**Fine, but I'm getting food. We can have dinner there.**

She was surprised when, not a minute later, she got another text with his acceptance. Her lips twisted again. He must have been well and truly worried to agree to dinner at the little dive without complaint.

Standing, Bella shouldered her purse, draped her orange vest over her arm and started walking.

She'd only gone as far as the edge of the building before something grasped her arm, hauling her into the darkness of the alley between Home Depot and the empty building beside it. Before she could scream, Bella found herself shoved hard up against the wall, a rough hand clapped tight over her mouth.

At first, she only saw his eyes. Malevolent blue eyes. Half of the duo that had chased her away from her home and plagued her nightmares.

James.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Jeez, James, there are other, more subtle ways to get someone's attention.
> 
> Thank you to barburella and shug. And ginny... who is actually gonna read this chap for the first time on FF... that's... strange.
> 
> So uh... how we doing over there?
> 
> **EDIT**
> 
> FAQ: Wait. I thought James was the father of the baby. Wtf?
> 
> A: No, you assumed he was the father of the baby. ;) In chapter 2, I purposefully wrote the scene so it wasn't clear. The intention was to invoke confusion - because that was the state of mind Bella was in. It was a means of trying to elicite an emotion, a mindset, so you might understand her turmoil. Problem is, this is fanfic. People naturally assume that James is the abusive ex (so to speak).
> 
> And no, it wasn't a mistake I'm trying to cover up. In chapter 2, Bella also mentions that the baby's father had a talent for blinding people to his true nature. Sound like someone we know? Alec. Yes.
> 
> Alec was always the father. Sorry for any confusion.


	18. The Con

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heh. I got this out as quickly as I could because 1) Yeah, I felt bad about the cliffie. And 2) There were a few uh… not so nice questions, so I felt like I should clear up something.
> 
> FAQ: Wait. I thought James was the father of the baby. Wtf?
> 
> A: No, you assumed he was the father of the baby. ;) In chapter 2, I purposely wrote the scene so it wasn't clear. The intention was to invoke confusion - because that was the state of mind Bella was in. It was a means of trying to elicit an emotion, a mindset, so you might understand her turmoil. Problem is, this is fanfic. People naturally assume that James is the abusive ex (so to speak).
> 
> And no, it wasn't a mistake I'm trying to cover up. In chapter 2, Bella also mentions that the baby's father had a talent for blinding people to his true nature. Sound like someone we know? Alec. Yes.
> 
> Alec was always the father. Sorry for any confusion.
> 
> Much love!

For a moment, the fear was blinding. Then that fierce protectiveness she felt for the life inside her, for her daughter, kicked in, and she was ready to fight, claw... do whatever it took to keep her baby safe.

She moved to knee him in the groin, but James was ready for that. He jumped backward, keeping one hand pressed hard against her mouth. Bella struggled, trying to wrest her head from under his hand - he was pressing down so hard, it felt like her jaw might crack - but she stopped cold when he pulled a gun free from his waist, waving it in front of her face.

Glaring, James pressed the barrel of the gun to her forehead, right between her eyes. Bella whimpered, her body rigid with fear. The only movement she made was the heaving of her chest as she breathed hard.

"Make a noise and I'll kill you, understand?" he growled.

Her eyes stung with tears she was trying desperately to keep at bay. She nodded, as much of a motion as his hand and the gun allowed.

James kept the gun pressed to her temple but dropped his other hand to his side. He was breathing hard, his nostrils flaring. The anger she saw on his face even in the relative darkness sent fear, cold as ice, down her spine, closing like an iron fist around her lungs. She was wise enough to be completely silent, knowing by the look in the eye he was pissed off and close to violence.

After a moment, he snickered. "What Alec sees in a pathetic little bitch like you, I will never understand. My girl, my Victoria? Now that's a woman worth fighting for. Sometimes she takes off on me, but I track her down. That's what you whores like - to be chased. Fucking drama queens.

"But Vick makes it worth my while." His eyes wandered over her, down her body. Bella shuddered in revulsion. James scoffed. "You're an ugly little thing, aren't you? Don't even have tits."

As he spoke, he groped her chest. Forgetting the gun for the moment, Bella shoved him hard enough he faltered a step backward. "Get away from me," she hissed, keeping her voice low. When she realized what she'd done, her eyes widened, and she waited breathlessly for retaliation.

If anything, he looked amused. "Aww," he said tauntingly. "Little kitten thinks she has claws." He used the gun to turn her head to the side, pressing it roughly against her cheek. "You think you're being cute, pretending you're not a shameless whore?" He leaned in closer, his body pinning hers to the wall. Bella pressed her palms flat against the brick, willing herself not to move as he whispered in her ear. "We know everything, bitch."

Bella's throat felt so tight and dry, she doubted she could have spoken even if she wanted to.

James pushed back, keeping the gun trained on her though he stepped away. His tone was light now, almost conversational.

"See, Alec figured you just had to have your little tantrum. And you're a particularly crazy little bitch, or so he tells me. But not talking to your mommy?" James tisked, shaking his head. "You should respect your family.

"But once Alec knew you were talking to that little boy on the reservation, he started pulling his phone bills." James shrugged easily. "Personally, I never thought you were worth the effort, but there's no accounting for taste, right?"

Without waiting for her to answer, he continued. "It's all pretty usual stuff on the kid's phone bill, until he gets to this cell number from Chicago. You know cops have access to all sorts of handy resources, so he finds out the phone belongs to one Edward Cullen of Chicago. Then it occurs to him to run your social through the system, and what do you know."

The glint in his eyes turned dangerous again as he stepped toward her. She tried to look down, intimidated, but he pressed the gun beneath her chin, tilting her head back up. He stared at her, and Bella tried not to betray how completely terrified she was, clenching her hands into fists at her side and biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood. "No. I don't get it," he said finally, as if disgusted. "Alec is an otherwise smart guy, and then your asshole husband is filthy rich." He snickered. "You must give a hell of a blow job to make you worth all this trouble.

"I told Alec you weren't worth it to begin with and all the attention a cheating whore deserves is a good ass kicking, but he wants what he wants. So here's the deal. You cooperate like a good little girl, and I won't hurt you. Or..." He reached forward, the move so lightning quick Bella hardly had time to process it before he'd grabbed her hair in his fist, yanking her head back hard. She stifled a yelp of pain.

"Or," James continued calmly, "you can make this as hard on yourself as you want it to be. I got lots of rope, plenty of trunk space, and like I said, unfaithful, ungrateful little bitches deserve what they have coming to them."

He let her go with a hard shove, leveling the gun at her once again. "So what's it going to be, Princess?"

It felt like hours had passed since he'd grabbed her, but in reality, it had been scant minutes. Terror was threatening to send her into a panic. She knew she couldn't afford to panic. He would hurt her, he would hurt the baby. She needed to think, and she needed to stall. The longer she could keep him in this alley, the more likely someone would find them.

"I-I... I don't understand why you're doing this, what you get out of this," she said, her voice tripping and stumbling as she spoke quickly. "I know you, James. You don't do things like this. I mean, at the very least, I know you're breaking your parole." She swallowed hard. "This is kidnapping, or if... if things go wrong, you could go down for murder. That's not you. That's not what you want."

James grimaced. "Not my call. Lucky for Alec, since he's got other responsibilities and, unlike you, he won't abandon his family, his sister called in a favor for him. I owed her one of those debts you can't say no to, and believe me, I'm eager to wipe the slate clean. And don't be such a melodramatic bitch. I'm not going to kill you." His grin was slow, threatening. "But if you don't behave, well... bruises heal."

Apparently growing impatient, he grabbed her by the arm again, yanking her forward. "Lets go," he demanded, beginning to drag her toward the back of the buildings, away from the parking lot.

Instantly, Bella dug her heels into the ground, tugging back against his pull. She couldn't let him drag her further away. She couldn't.

"Stupid fucking bitch," he muttered, trying to get a better hold as she struggled.

In the distance, Bella thought she heard something. Voices. Voices!

If someone was coming out of the store, he wouldn't shoot her. They would hear. He would be caught.

At the thought, adrenaline coursed through her. She didn't think, but drove the palm of her hand hard against his nose.

With a cry of pain, James stumbled backward. Bella didn't stop to see if he fell. She pivoted and ran, breathing hard. In her terror, her throat had closed to a painful point, and it was as if she couldn't remember how to scream, though she was trying to desperately as she ran.

She could almost taste freedom, could see the well lit parking lot, when the quick footfalls that had been following her caught up. James grabbed her, wrenching her arm backward so hard, her immediate thought was that he might have dislocated it as he threw her to the ground.

He stood between her and the light of the parking lot, between her and salvation. His hand - the one not still holding the gun - was a fist at his side. His eyes absolutely promised, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was about to hurt her. Bad.

_Beg._

Not for herself. For the baby.

"Please," she cried, holding her hand up. "Please, I'm pregnant. If you hurt me, you hurt the baby."

His step faltered.

But only for a heartbeat for his expression, if anything, got more livid.

Bella skittered backward like a crab as he stalked forward. She wrapped an arm protectively around her belly, her eyes frozen, locked like a deer in headlights as he came forward.

Headlights...

_**~0~** _

Edward ran his hands through his hair, his anxiety reaching full on terror now.

Bella was not in the restaurant.

She was also not answering her phone.

"Fuck. Fuck."

Pivoting, Edward sprinted away from the annoyed manager he'd been harassing out to his car. He raced back round the corner, ignoring traffic lights and honking horns.

A tiny part of him tried to tell him he was overreacting. There had to be a logical, completely rational explanation for all this.

But no. He didn't believe that. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

He pulled into the Home Depot parking lot. There were a few cars dotted throughout, but it was deserted save for someone walking to their car at the end of the lot. She'd just gotten in when Edward recognized her as the night supervisor. He pressed the gas, ready to stop her before she took off, when a movement out of the corner of his eye stopped him cold.

For just a moment, he thought he saw a flash of brown.

Bella's brown hair flying.

Before it was swallowed by the darkness next to the building.

He was terrified.

He was furious.

If someone was hurting her, he was going to rip them apart with his bare hands.

With his headlights illuminating the alley, Edward could see clearly what was going on. The car screeched to a stop, and he barely had the presence of mind to throw it into park before he was out, running into the alley.

A man with dirty blond hair and blood streaming out of his nose was bending over Bella, trying to haul her to her feet as she fought. He was screaming at her, something about how fucked up she was.

When he saw Edward running at them he let her go, pushing her back at the ground.

Edward stopped cold when the man pointed a gun at Bella's head. "Get. Away. From my wife," he growled between clenched teeth.

The man's eyebrows arched, and his grin grew wide, mocking. "Oh, so you're the pussy-whipped Mr. Cullen, eh? I gotta hand it to you - if you were trying to keep this slut in one place, you sure knew how to do it. I guess a metric shit ton of money helps with that. You got your place locked down tighter than Fort Knox; you drive her everywhere. At least you got a tight leash on your little bitch.

"You in the habit of picking through someone else's garbage, though? And she's carrying his baby... pathetic whore."

During the man's diatribe, Edward's eyes had strayed to Bella. He looked her up and down. She was obviously scared, disheveled, but otherwise intact. At the man's mention of the baby, though, Edward's attention was diverted by his renewed fury.

Clenching his fists, he took a threatening step forward. "It's my baby, asshole. My baby, my wife."

James - it must have been James if it wasn't Alec - glared down at Bella. "You fucking slut. You're one fucked up piece of work, aren't you?"

"She's not the one who's tossing a pregnant woman around like a rag doll," Edward snapped loudly, trying to get James's attention back on him. "But you keep talking. I called the police, so you talk as long as you want, because you're not going anywhere with her."

This was a bluff. Edward had hurled himself out of the car without thought, before he could dial 9-1-1.

But the look on James's face showed how torn he was.

Carefully, Bella got to her feet. "Go back to your girlfriend, your Victoria," she said, her voice still shaky. "If the police catch you, if you do anything to us, you're going to end up back in jail. You can still get out of here. Fuck what Alec wants from you."

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly - he had no intention of letting James get out of here before he ripped him limb from limb - but he kept his silence. Anything to get him away from Bella.

"Fuck this shit," James muttered under his breath. "He wants to chase after pathetic whores, he can do it on his own."

He swung his gun around to point at Edward, lunging back to grab Bella. He swung her hard, hurling her in Edward's direction, and ran.

How desperately Edward wanted to run after him. He was going to get away.

But the woman in his arms was far more important.

"Bella," he said quickly, watching as the blond man sped away in the car he'd parked behind the building. "Look at me. Are you hurt?" He cradled her head in his hands, looking her over. His headlights had chased away the darkness so he could see her plainly. Mostly, she looked panicked, her eyes wild. She was clutching his arms. "Bella?" he said again, urgent.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine." Her rambling turned into tremors and broke into sobs as she shook in his arms.

Leaning against the wall, Edward held her, his relief beginning to seep into the bubble of fear and anger. He sagged, tightening his arms around her, stroking her hair, murmuring over and over that she was safe, and he was sorry.

"I should have been here. You should never have been alone."

She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm down. "Shut up," she said, sniffling. "It's not your fault." She twisted her fingers in his jacket, pulling herself closer.

Now that she was calm and in one piece in his arms, the panic of the situation faded into other worries, and Edward felt urgency stir in his blood. "Come on. We have to get to the hospital. We can call the police on the way there."

"What? No!"

He held onto her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him.

She continued to babble. "I'm fine. I promise, I'm fine. He just pushed me around a little. We don't need to go anywhere, or tell anyone."

He shook her gently, just barely enough to get her attention. "Bella, there's a reason it's called a delicate condition," he said softly. "Sometimes, being pushed around is all you need for trouble. Please. Humor me. Let a doctor look at you."

She looked down, swallowing hard, her hand cupping her belly protectively. "I don't want to tell anyone," she whispered.

"Why? Alec has no sway over the Chicago police. He's small potatoes here. If there's an official report-"

"If there's an official report, I'll have to tell them why James came for me," she interrupted, her voice gaining an edge of franticness. "And they'll tell Alec. They'll tell him the baby is his." She took another breath, obviously trying not to start crying again. "Edward, he can't know she's his. I know the law. Alec will take her from me. James will tell Alec its yours. It'll be different if it's yours."

Edward gathered her close to him, stroking her hair and shushing her gently. "Okay. Okay." He sucked in a breath, still scared for her and the baby. "This is what we're going to do. I'm going to take you to the hospital, and you tell them what happened. Just leave out that you knew who he was. Okay?" He cupped her face. "Can you do that? Can you tell them that?"

She nodded. Lying was not normally something she was good at, but she felt like she could do anything if it meant her daughter would be safe.

_**~0~** _

Edward had read a little too much for his own sanity.

Bella looked so much smaller to him, hooked up to monitors, but they both felt better when they could hear the baby's heartbeat, strong and steady. She'd patiently endured nurses drawing blood, an ultrasound, and lying to the cops.

After putting up with a thousand of Edward's anxious questions, the doctor informed them that while he was sure Bella could rest comfortably at home, they could keep her overnight just in case. Edward answered for her that of course she'd be staying overnight.

She hated hospitals, hated the idea of staying overnight in one, but she agreed to it for his sake.

"Perhaps you should get a good night's sleep, Mr. Cullen," the doctor suggested. "It seems like Mrs. Cullen will want to be sprung as early as possible tomorrow morning, and the chairs here aren't what you'd call comfortable."

"I'm not leaving," Edward said flatly.

The doctor nodded. "I figured that. I'll have the nurses scare up a pillow and blanket for you."

"You don't have to stay," Bella said quietly, looking over at him with sad eyes when the doctor was gone.

"I'm not leaving," Edward repeated, more gently this time. He stroked her hand and then tilted his head, realizing she was crying. "Bella, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Really, he shouldn't have been surprised. She'd been emotional off and on all night - understandably so. She'd been through hell that day.

"No," she said, the sound watery. She laughed. "No, I'm fine. I'm really fine, and you... you just keep on taking care of me." She pressed her palm hard against her forehead. "It's not fair, what I'm doing to you. I've been so selfish."

"Shh, sweet girl. None of that is true," he said quickly, taking her other hand in his.

"It is true," she argued. "Tonight, I didn't even ask you. I didn't ask you if it was okay to not tell the..." she trailed off, looking around furtively. When she spoke again, her tone was quieter. "She's not your daughter. James could have hurt you today as much as he could have hurt us." She sniffled. "It's not fair."

For a long minute, Edward didn't talk, though he continued to stroke his fingers over her knuckles. He was warring with himself, not sure if what was on his mind would help or hurt her.

He didn't want to scare her away. Her mind had to be all over the place, and he didn't want to make that worse.

But he couldn't not tell her anymore.

"Please look at me," he said in a hushed voice.

She hesitated, but she did. Her eyes were so full of guilt and a wariness, his heart twisted.

"I love you," he said finally. It was a statement as simple and true as he could make it.

Her eyes widened. "You shouldn't," she whispered. "God, Edward. You shouldn't. I'm such a mess, and I can't... I don't..."

"None of that matters." He let her hands go so he could cup her face. "I love you. The only thing you could say to dissuade me is if you don't..."

He looked in her eyes. The way she winced and seemed to steel herself.

"No," he amended. "I won't believe you don't love me."

She looked down, two tears overflowing, spilling down her cheeks, over his fingers. She raised her hands, pressing her palms to his knuckles. "I do love you." The words were so quiet they could have been a breath. "So much."

Edward felt a wide grin spread across his face, joy beginning to fill his heart.

"But it's not right. It's not fair." She shook her head, winding her fingers through his, bringing their hands down. "I have nothing to give you. I have nothing... and another man's baby."

He shook his head. "Look at me," he entreated again. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly but looked up. "I don't want to pretend anymore." He spoke each word carefully, with intent. "I want to be your husband, period." He moved one hand to her belly. "I want to be Bean's father."

Her eyes were wide and another tear slipped from the corner of each of them.

"And I know what I'm saying," he continued. "I know what it means to be a father. I know what I'm asking for. No matter what comes, I will love her unconditionally. She will be my daughter.  _My_ daughter."

"Oh God." Bella closed her eyes again.

She was smiling. Crying and smiling. When she opened her eyes again, she looked happy. So happy.

"Say you'll be my wife. Really. Truly. Say you'll marry me in your heart, not just on paper."

"You're insane," she whispered.

"Perhaps. But I'm serious."

"This is crazy."

"Which part?" He was amazed he could keep his voice so steady. His heart was pounding wildly, almost painfully.

"All of it! I mean... we... we hardly know each other."

He looked up at her from under his eyelashes. "That is not true. I know you. And better than anyone else in my life, you know me."

She laughed, a giddy sound, and looked him in the eye. "Yes," she said simply.

It was the most beautiful word Edward had heard in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to Ginny, shug, and barburella.
> 
> Well? Feel better? Worse?


	19. Honeymoon Not In Vegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Big puffy hearts to you all!

Bella woke slowly, a little befuddled.

The walls were too plain, her bed too uncomfortably flat, and there was a strange light to the room and noise outside her door.

She tried to raise her hand to wipe her tired eyes but found it weighed down.

Edward was slumped in a chair next to her bed, his head crooked at an uncomfortable looking angle."

The previous evening rushed back to her.

Part of it she'd hoped was a nightmare she'd wake up from.

James. Just thinking his name made her shiver and sparked paranoia in her blood. She squeezed Edward's hand though he was still asleep and felt slightly comforted, though her eyes skirted the room, looking for anything out of place, looking for shadows where James or worse, Alec, could pop out of.

Bella breathed deep, placing her free hand over her belly, reminding herself that her daughter was safe, she was safe.

For now.

Before she could fall back into a panic she looked at Edward, remembering the rest of the evening. Anxiety gave way to a much better feeling, and warmth flooded the places inside her that had begun to get ice cold.

She was a married woman.

Well, in the way that counted now.

Bella's breath caught in her throat.

Holy hell. She was married. Legitimately and truly, as long as we both shall live married.

It wasn't as frightening as she'd imagined. Quite the opposite. When she thought of the rest her life with Edward by her side, raising her daughter - their daughter - together, she felt only happiness, an eagerness, really, to find out what their life would be like.

On the one hand was a sense of relief so staggering, she was dizzy with it.

Not so many months ago, though the over abundant kindness of a then stranger had given her safe haven, she'd spent that first week she was with him trying to come to terms with the rest of her life. It was so much to consider, her entire life to rebuild. Everything was so much more important because she had someone else's life to consider.

It was too much. She'd been trying to come to terms with how unrecognizable her life was. First she knew she had to start looking for a job, and that had taken much time and effort. Then she'd slowly started to acclimate to the idea she was pregnant. With Edward's help, she'd at least grasped the wonder of pregnancy, of creating life, even when she felt oddly disjointed from that life.

Then, of course, the twist - the wonderful twist - of trying to figure out how she might fit in Edward's personal life.

But now, it was a whole new world. For the first time in a long time, when she considered the future, she felt like she could breathe again. For too long, it had been as if her lungs forgot to work.

She and Edward could build a new life together.

On the other hand, that concept too had her overwhelmed in an entirely different way. It wasn't a crushing feeling, as she'd felt when she'd been faced with rebuilding her life from nothing. It was just... a lot.

First love was more powerful than she could have imagined, and how she could be so utterly sure about her commitment to him, she didn't quite understand. But she couldn't imagine her life without him anymore. She was sure she didn't want to.

A little moan drew her out of her thoughts. Bella felt a slow smile spread as she watched him blink awake, his green eyes still sleepy and his lips perfectly pouted. His fingers twitched around her hand.

He was beautiful, this man, inside and out. Beautiful and hers.

Her husband.

When she squeezed his fingers, he turned toward her and winced. "Ah!"

Bella clucked her tongue, releasing his hand so she could rub the back of his neck. "I told you to go home," she admonished gently.

"Mmm," he hummed, the sound gravely. His lips turned up at the corners, his eyes lazy and tender as they roamed her face. "Waking up beside you is always preferable, even if it comes with a crick in the neck."

"Only you, Edward," she said ruefully, her cheeks warming and a giddy emotion rising in her. "Only you can make waking up in a hospital room romantic."

Sitting up, he winked at her. "Well, I suppose there are worse talents to have," he murmured, taking her face in his hands. He kissed her with the lightest of pressure, a kiss both sweet and adoring. He pulled back, and just as suddenly, the adoration in his eyes was marred by something else - trepidation? Anger? It was hard to tell. His gentle fingers traced her jaw, along her cheeks with a feather touch. His breath shuddered a little, and his second kiss was a little harder.

He rested his forehead against hers, and when Bella opened her eyes, she was surprised to see his face was pinched. "What's wrong?" she asked, dreading the answer a little.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just..." He sighed and raised his head, his smile a little tight as he looked at her. "Your face is a little bruised from where..." He shook his head, obviously trying to temper his fury. "I was so scared when I couldn't find you last night. I'm very, very glad you're here in front of me."

Bella felt a prick of fear run down her spine, but she quickly pushed it away, not willing to let it overtake the bliss. Not yet. After all, though they'd been married on paper for months, the day before would always mark the beginning of their marriage. Maybe spending her wedding night in a hospital bed wasn't ideal, but she still reserved the right not to let the real world in quite so quickly.

"I thought for a second you were regretting what you agreed to last night," she said lightly, mostly teasing.

His smile was easier at that. "Not at all, Mrs. Cullen."

It seemed like he would burst with satisfaction at those words.

"And you?" He stroked the back of his knuckles down her cheek, against her neck. "Regrets?"

Putting her hand over his, she brought his fingers up so she could kiss his fingertips. "No regrets."

**~0~**

The hospital released Bella early, and they drove home holding hands over the shifter. He parked in the driveway, and with a wide grin, swept her up into his arms to carry her over the threshold. She blushed and giggled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're helpless, aren't you?" she asked, kissing the underside of his chin.

"Entirely," he agreed.

Inside, he settled her on the couch, wrapping his arm around her. He put his free hand over her belly as he kissed her. "I love you both," he promised in a whisper against her ear.

Bella snuggled against his side.

They sat together for what could have been hours for all Edward knew. He was content to hold her, kiss her, knowing she was finally his as he was hers.

He found he could make love to her as easily with just their lips and simple touches as he could with the rest of his body.

She grumbled when she had to interrupt their prurient kisses to go to the restroom. Edward took the time to get his thoughts in order. There was nothing he wanted more than to stay wrapped in her arms, her lips on his, all day long, but there was too much to talk about now.

Everything was different, for more reason than one.

It killed him a little when she came back to the living room and her smile fell. He'd moved to the recliner, and she must have realized there was a change in the charge of the air. He opened his arms for her, and she came, looking a little apprehensive. She let him pull her onto his lap. As he reclined, Edward wrapped his arms around her, wishing he could protect her as easily as he could hold her.

"There are things we have to talk about," he said gently, his lips pressed to the side of her cheek.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I know."

Again, he tightened his grip on her, hoping she felt safe. "I think I understand why you didn't want to tell the police the whole truth about James," he began. He waited a few beats when her body went rigid, but she seemed calm. "But it's not too late to tell them. They'd understand. Anyone would be panicky under those circumstances."

She swallowed thickly. "I know it must seem so stupid." Her voice was shaky and thin. She didn't look at him as she spoke. "My father told me once that no system was without flaws. He tried to protect people, but sometimes, the letter of the law only made things worse for the innocent. Laws are black and white, but life is a gray area. Even when you have the best intentions, things aren't always clear."

She looked up then, her eyes pleading for his understanding. "If I tell them the truth, they would have to investigate. All that would happen is that Alec would tell them James acted on his own. They'll believe him. I know Alec. He's not stupid enough to have left any evidence."

"And without evidence, the police can't touch him," Edward finished.

Bella nodded. She closed her eyes, breathing in through her nose, trying to keep calm. "He's going to find out I'm pregnant. I know that. If the police get involved, there's every chance that I'll have to see Alec."

"He'd have to see you."

"Yes. And if he figures out the timeline of my pregnancy, he'll know." Her voice shook and her body trembled. She shook her head. "If he asks a judge for a paternity test, he'll get it. I have no leg to stand on. On paper, he looks like an upstanding citizen, and what do I look like? I seem erratic. I ran away from home, for fucks sake. And if I tell the police who sent James..."

"You could look like you're making false accusations," Edward finished. "You'd be creating a paper trail for your own behavior, not Alec's."

Bella nodded, looking helpless. "I'm playing the odds. I know that. They could still catch James, even on what little we gave them, and then what? Maybe he'll tell them the truth, try to pin it on Alec himself, or maybe he'll do what he did when he was arrested the first time and claim his right to remain silent. I just..." She cupped her little bump, closing her eyes again. "I need to give her every chance."

Edward was quiet, pressing small kisses against her hairline to calm her. It was impossible to tell what outcome was better. He supposed it was no different than what she'd done - what he'd helped her do - from the get go. They'd married and she began to piece together a new life, all the while just hoping Alec would leave them alone.

"Okay," he said quietly. "But we know now he hasn't forgotten about you. We need to be more careful, so much more careful, until I... we can figure out a more definite solution."

Relief was evident on her face. She took a deep breath, nodding her agreement. "What were you thinking?"

"Well," he said slowly. With a small sigh he traced the outline of her lips. "I know how much your job means to you, but things are different now, right? Let me take care of you," he entreated. "I can support you."

"I don't want you to have to support me," she said with a sigh. "My supervisor said she would switch my schedules when I went back to work. No night shifts."

"I'm not suggesting that you be a housewife. I know that's not what you want." He moved his hands down over hers, over their daughter. "I honestly think it's safer for you not to work right now. Take time to get ready for the baby, and after she's born, you can go to school for what you really want to do, get set up in a career where you'll be happy."

"Edward," Bella hedged, but he silenced her, his finger to her lips.

He smiled easily. "A lot of couples do this, Bella. One of them works while the other goes to school."

She glared at him. "I wasn't working while you were in school."

"You most certainly were," he smirked. "You were working very hard at growing up." He stroked her cheek adoringly.

She blushed and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You really think it's safer?"

"Well, yes. Technically, having no routine is better than having a routine, even if it's that you routinely show up to your job. If Alec or James come back, it's harder for them to follow through on any kind of plan if they don't know where you'll be."

She was still and silent for long moments, and he took the time to stroke his fingers through her hair, silently communicating that he was here, and they would never touch her again as long as he had breath in his body.

"Okay," she said finally. "You're right. It's safer. I hate not pulling my weight but... for Bean."

Edward grimaced. "Let's table the not pulling your weight topic for just a moment, because I have something else to say, and you're going to like it even less."

Bella pulled back, her expression guarded.

"I want to hire a bodyguard. Hear me out," he said quickly, before she could protest. "It would actually allow you quite a bit of freedom so you can be out and about without worrying. They're not as obtrusive as you might imagine. Felix had to hire one once." His lips twisted in displeasure. "His third wife had an ex who, er... could not be persuaded to move on."

Bella shivered. "What happened?"

"Well... he ended up killing himself in front of her," Edward admitted softly.

"That's horrible." She ducked her head against his neck.

It was, but for the space of a breath, Edward had the uncharitable thought that it would be a blessing for Alec to take care of the problem he presented on his own. Instantly, Edward felt bad for thinking it. If nothing else, he would never want to put Bella through the trauma of seeing something like that.

"You're still crazy," Bella muttered, her breath warm against his neck. "It's too much."

"I'm not talking about anything from a Kevin Costner movie. My main concern is the new house, since the security isn't likely to be as good as it is here. They would be responsible for making sure no one suspicious is parked outside, and they would inspect the house every other week or so." He smiled. "Think about it, Bella. You've been so cooped up here unless you go out with Alice or me. You'd have a lot more flexibility to go out on your own without being scared.

"And it's temporary." With two fingers under her chin, he tilted her head up. "I will make you safe again."

Taking his hand, Bella squeezed his fingers. "Okay, fine. For the baby, I will agree to this, but I won't be very happy about it. And only until she's born. Then..." She blew out a long breath. "I don't know. I'll learn how to be a ninja warrior or something."

"Good. Thank you." He kissed her soundly, letting some of his tension out, relieved. That had gone better than he'd expected, but then again, he knew she was she had to be still running scared after James's attack the day before. Still, if it meant she'd be safer, he would take her compromise where he could get it.

"Now," he murmured, kissing her chin, her cheeks. "Let us return to the tabled topic." His kisses lingered, and he didn't stop until her breath was a wispy, shuddery thing and her hands clenched and unclenched in fists in his shirt. "Why do you think you're not pulling your weight?"

"That," she muttered breathlessly, "is a very silly question."

"You don't honestly think that a relationship, a marriage is about how much money one of us brings to the table?" He kissed her again before she could answer. "If I thought it would convince you that, if anything, I'm the lucky one, I would give up every penny I had, quit my job, and live happily in a cardboard box."

She laughed, her lips on his. "You're ridiculous."

"No more than you, love," he teased.

Catching her face in his hands, he looked at her with complete sincerity. "Husbands and wives... they should be partners. That is, arguably, more important than anything else, than everything else. We're good partners. I may not need protection, but you fill the spaces in my life where I had no idea how much I was lacking." He kissed her again, tiny kisses. "You make me stronger because you are."

With a little moan, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. For long minutes, they kissed. She was small and hot on his lap, her fingers threading up into his hair. He traced the lines of her body with easy, firm caresses.

When they had to breathe, he rested his cheek against hers. "I don't want to hear you say it again, that we're unequal, that you don't give me enough." His words were a rumbled command, his tone indicating he would not be argued with on this topic.

"You're so demanding," she panted.

"Mmm," he rumbled, kissing her again. "You give me everything, my beautiful wife."

Technically, he was a newlywed. He was allowed to indulge in a little nonsense.

Though it wasn't a silly thing to him, to make sure his wife knew how much she was loved, cherished, adored. It was one of his duties, as far as he was concerned. He'd always taken his duties seriously.

Because the recliner did not have enough room for his taste, he stood, carefully setting her on her feet. "Come on," he said softly, taking her hand. "Let's go lay down for a little while."

She let him lead her upstairs and laughed lightly when they got to the door.

"What is it?" The sound of her laughter made him smile, but then, everything about her made him smile today.

Her look was coy, so fresh and innocent. "Our room," she said quietly, gesturing at the door.

At that, Edward's smile nearly cracked his face.

He'd been returning to his room for all of his 32 years. Even in college, his grandfather had sprung for an apartment rather than let him have a roommate.

Edward wondered if Bella realized there was a correlation. As his wife, she would share his room, his house, his life. Everything he had was no longer his, it was theirs. To him, she should be as comfortable sharing his money as she was sharing his bed.

But, as stubborn as she was, Edward decided he would just be glad she had no qualms making his room their room. And soon, they would have a home that they would choose together.

Overcome again by an exuberant emotion, a natural high, he swept her into his arms for the second time that morning. She let out a little squeal, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Edward!" she protested. Getting her bearings, she gave him an indulgent look. "You already did this part."

"I'm just trying to be thorough."

"Ah, I see." She kissed cheek and then pecked his lips. "Well, I suppose I married you, obsessive compulsive quirks and all."

"Yes," he agreed, laying her gently at the center of his bed.

Their bed.

He laid alongside her, kissing a line up her neck to her lips. His touches were intimate, communicating how much he treasured and revered her, but ultimately innocent. Edward was content; there were many ways he could express his love.

He told her he loved her with every kiss, with every brush of his hand along her body.

He let his hand linger over her little bump, his fingers splayed against her warm skin beneath her shirt. Her baby.

Their daughter.

These were the moments when he truly found the divine. Last night, he could have lost everything. Bella might have slipped through his fingers. She might never have known that he loved her, that the vows he'd signed on paper were true in his heart. She might never have truly been his wife. Bean might have only ever been her baby, not their daughter.

Would she ever understand what a profound gift she'd given him?

It didn't matter, he realized as he laid his head against her breast, listening to the strong thrum of her heart.

Now, he had the time to show her every day as long as they both should live.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Jaysus. Schmoopy mc schmoop schmoop. Back to the drama next chap yes? Thanks to Ginny, Jfka06, shug, and Barburella. You guys put up with so much and you make me laugh.
> 
> Few things
> 
> 1) I am participating in a pledge-a-thon. For $5 you can receive a private outtake from me. I'll also be doing a live chat/interview on June 30. It's for a great cause and I'm quite proud to be a part of it. Find out more here: bit . ly/ptblkris
> 
> Note, I don't know what I'm doing the outtake for yet so if you have an idea, let me know. For any of my fics.
> 
> 2) I am also participating in Smut University as a Professor. If you're interested in that read more here: projectteambeta smut-university/
> 
> 3) If you're a fan of historical fics, A Promise Kept by Cullen312 is quite well written. I should warn you that it takes place on the Titanic and I didn't read the original o/s it came from so I have no idea if our wonderful couple survives. I'm biting my fingers at the prospect.


	20. Isolated and Consumated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm happy you all enjoyed the fluffernut sauce! Big puffy hearts.

"Oh, sweetheart. Look at you."

Edward watched Bella's expression, worried, as his mother clucked over her. The bruise on her face was more of a shadow where James's fingers had been pressed tight over Bella's mouth. There was another finger shaped bruise on her arm, he knew, but it was covered up.

With Bella's permission Edward told his family about James's attack, again leaving out Bella's connection to him. They'd surprised the hell out of the couple by rushing over, all six of them.

"You should have called us," Jasper said, a fierce, protective expression on his face. "I wish you had; we would have been there for you last night."

Bella ducked her head. "I'm sorry. Everything happened so quickly. I just..."

Edward stepped in. "We didn't think about it," he said honestly.

He saw sadness pass through his father's expression, but Carlisle's smile was gentle as always. "We're your family. You're so used to dealing with everything on your own, but we want to be here for you. Especially things like this," he said quietly.

Edward blinked, having not thought about it like that. Now that he looked back on the situation, he wondered if that should have been his first reaction - to call his family. Was that the normal thing?

But Carlisle was right. He was used to dealing with all of his life's crises on his own.

"We're here now." Surprisingly, it was Rosalie who spoke. She was a mirror of Emmett's body language, her arms crossed, her expression touched with anger. She took a breath, her eyes gentling noticeably as she went to Bella's side. "Tell us what you need. If you need us all to back off, don't be shy about it."

Bella's expression was comically wide-eyed for a moment, but she tempered it quickly. "No. I'm okay. Really."

The family settled down around the living room. Edward kept his arm tight around Bella, brushing her arm comfortingly whenever she tensed. Esme asked about the baby, and Edward answered that everything looked fine, but Bella was supposed to be taking it easy until her follow-up appointment the day before her birthday.

"You should come over to the house this week while Edward is at work," Esme said suddenly. "So you don't have to be alone."

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I'll be fine," Bella said quickly, but Edward could see the way she blanched. She'd confessed to him once that being alone in the big house was unnerving, and that was before she'd been attacked.

"I was going to stay home this week," Edward said quietly. He hadn't discussed this with her yet, but he had absolutely no intention of leaving her alone. Not only did he want her to rest as much as possible, but he wasn't sure he was ready to let her out of his sight just yet.

"You don't have to do that," Bella said firmly.

Edward just rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious," Bella insisted. "You have that important meeting Wednesday, right? To get your plans approved? You need to be there for that."

"It's fine," Esme interrupted. "Go to your meeting, and I'll take care of Bella."

"I don't need to be taken care of. I'm not a child," Bella said irritably.

Esme made a face. "Oh, dear. No. That's not what I meant at all."

"I think it would make all of us more comfortable if you weren't alone," Carlisle spoke up, and the rest of the family nodded their agreement.

Edward and Bella exchanged a glance. "They're definitely your family," Bella said wryly, low enough that only he could hear.

The comment struck a chord with Edward.

Later, when the family left, Edward and Bella lapsed into silence, both in their own little worlds. They sat together, her head on his shoulder, his finger idly twisting a strand of her hair around and around and around.

"What are you thinking?" Bella asked, breaking the quiet of the house. She raised her head, leaning her chin on his shoulder instead.

Edward was distracted momentarily by the closeness of her face. A smile crept over his features, and he kissed her lightly, adoringly.

"I was thinking that we're very alike, you and I."

"How's that?"

"I think we're very isolated people."

She sucked in a breath and sat up straight to look at him, her expression uncertain. "I don't understand."

He tapped his lips, arranging and rearranging his words in his head before he spoke. "It frustrates me that when I - or my family, as was the case today - want to help you or expresses concern for you, your automatic reaction is that you don't need a babysitter."

Bella frowned. "When you put it that way, you make me sound ungrateful. I-"

He held a finger to his lips. "What I realized today is that I do much the same thing. My father was right. I never do think to call him in any crisis of my life." He chuckled sadly. "I don't think either of us is ungrateful for the people in our lives, just perhaps unused to being cared for. Certainly my grandfather encouraged me to be self-sufficient, self-comforting, self... everything. But there's something to the idea of needing other people."

Smiling gently, pressing his thumb to the tiny dimple on her chin. "When you let me take care of you, whether it's something big or something as small as me getting you a glass of water, it fills a need in me, in part of our relationship. Give  _and_ take. Both of these must be equally important, because if you can't take, I can't give.

"The same logic should be applied to all my relationships. I've struggled to get closer to my parents, my brothers over the years. It's true they haven't made it easy at times, like most recently with the house, but I'm beginning to wonder if my being so self-sufficient, so completely unwilling to lean on them at all, is keeping us from bridging the gap between us."

Readjusting himself, Edward threw his legs up over her lap so he could face her. She looked amused and rested her hands on his shins, pursing her lips in thought. "I don't know if I've ever thought of that as isolation, though."

He took her hands, squeezing. "If you didn't feel so isolated, would you have run from Forks the way you did?"

Her whole body stiffened, and Edward was instantly sorry for his thoughtless words. "Bella, I-"

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "No, you're right. There was no one I could trust. No one except Jacob, and he was a high school kid." She frowned. "That's not normal, is it?"

"I don't know that I could claim to be an expert on normal." When he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, she seemed to calm, her shoulders relaxing. "Will you tell me how it happened?"

Bella sighed and didn't pretend to misunderstand him.

"My mother was a young mother." As she spoke, Edward thought there he heard a tightness to her voice. "If I had to guess, I'd say she never took to it. Never took to Forks and never really took to me."

Edward wondered if she realized her hands hand strayed down to her belly and she stroked idly, instinctively assuring her daughter that it wouldn't be the same with them.

Bella sighed. "She's not a horrible mother. I think she just gradually drew deeper into herself until she was mostly checked out. When I was little, my dad was taking care of both his parents. When they died, he knew my mother was unhappy."

"They never meant to get stuck in Forks," Edward surmised.

She nodded. "I was always okay, so I suppose I learned to take care of myself."

They were both silent for a moment.

"I don't know what it all means," Bella said with a shrug. "I've never thought about it, really. I was lonely sometimes in high school, but I did have a boyfriend at one point," she pointed out.

Edward hummed his assent, not really wanting to think about her boyfriend however far removed. "And Alec?" he asked softly, stroking her back when she shuddered. "How did you end up friends with him?"

Bella breathed deep, in and out, once, twice before she tried to answer. "I was stupid," she said in a whisper.

"Bella," Edward began, but she shook her head.

"No, really. I was a stupid kid. I, um..." She rolled her eyes, her fingers pressing against his leg randomly. "I guess I was fourteen when he was a rookie? I don't know. My dad talked about him a lot. He was proud of him." A bitterness crept into her voice and she looked off without seeing.

"See, Alec has a twin sister, Jane. They were both delinquent kids." Her fingers twisted in the fabric of his jeans. "But Alec turned his life around..."

Tenderly, Edward reached out, stroking her cheeks with his fingertips, aching for her.

The motion calmed her and, taking another deep breath, Bella continued. "Like I said, I was fourteen and stupid. I don't think I hid my crush very well.

"My crush faded, but Alec... Well, I saw him often because of my dad and because Forks is a small town. I don't even know when it happened, but little by little, he started to ask me questions that made me uncomfortable, questions I know now were inappropriate. And he would put his hand at my waist or just... on me, all the time." She sucked in a shuddering breath.

"I don't know," she continued in a small voice. "I kept on thinking that I must have been misreading the situation. Obviously, my dad wouldn't let him near me if he was... bad, so I had to be overreacting."

Her hands became fists over his legs. Edward put his hands over hers, and she twined their fingers together, gripping tightly.

"When I was 17, he kissed me. It took me completely by surprise, so I didn't say anything right away. When he tried it again, I stopped him. He teased me." She made a face, her voice becoming mocking as she imitated Alec. "'Isn't this always what you wanted?'" Bella closed her eyes, breathing steadily and holding on to him. After a long moment, she shook her head.

"You're right, about the isolation. I never told anyone. I never felt like there was anyone I could tell. I felt like I should handle it myself."

She sounded ashamed, and it broke Edward's heart. Quickly, he shifted, putting his feet on the floor so he could pull her close. With two fingers under her chin, he lifted her head, his eyes fierce on hers. "What he did was not your fault," he said firmly.

There was uncertainty in her eyes, but she nodded. "I know."

_**~0~** _

Bella laid in bed pretending to read. Her thoughts were anywhere but the words in front of her, though.

Beside her, her husband sat up in bed, his eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on his laptop. She hid a smile, not wanting to be caught ogling just yet.

As usual, he'd come to bed without a shirt on. His laptop sat on a writing desk, so her view of his bare chest was mostly unadulterated. She drank him in, her fingers itching to trace the firm lines of his muscles, to feel the sparse hair against her palm. She wanted his eyes on her, shining with love and that look, that hunger, that sent fire through her veins and tipped off an exquisite ache centered where she wanted him most.

Good God, she wanted him. She'd been turned on in her life before, of course, but this was altogether different. Maybe it was the hormones, but she was hornier than she'd ever been. There was a possessiveness to her desire. She wanted to claim him and for him to claim her. She wanted to feel him inside her, feel his hands on her the way he'd touched her before...

Before she'd totally flipped out about Alec.

Bella frowned to herself, biting her lip.

Never could Bella have imagined she would end up married to someone she'd never had sex with. She'd decided as a teenager that it was wiser to know exactly what you were getting into, to be sure you were compatible with your significant other before you made it legal.

Life, as always, proved to be very creative with curveballs.

They were newlyweds. They should still be in that blissful stage where they couldn't keep their hands to themselves.

Bella closed her eyes tightly.

Just that day, they'd been back to the doctor for a follow-up after her run-in with James the previous week. Edward held her hand the whole time, obviously just as anxious as she was about the results.

The doctor had been all smiles, cheerfully announcing that everything looked great and, "You can resume sexual activity."

Even Edward had blushed, and he'd smirked.

Because of course, Edward was not going to touch her - not until he was sure she was absolutely comfortable. They slept in the same bed every night, and he showed his love with his gentle touches and kisses.

She wanted more, he wanted more, but neither of them wanted her demons to interrupt their intimacy.

Her lucid thoughts were sanguine, knowing with utter certainty that Alec and Edward were nothing alike. If Edward wanted to hurt her, wanted to claim her body as his possession, he could have done it so many times. She'd been in his house, in his bed, in his arms, and he'd never once pushed her.

Alcohol often stripped a person down to their base instincts, their most primitive selves, wiling away inhibitions and the careful mask they held in place for the rest of the world. Alec and James had been drinking when she went to his house that day. Alec's base self had bound her up and locked her in a closet until she 'came to her senses'. Edward's base self when he was drunk off his ass had always been to protect her, even when it went against everything he'd been taught to believe about marriage.

Edward was not Alec.

Bella wanted her body to believe as thoroughly as her mind did.

Before she could lose her nerve, she climbed to her knees quickly. Taking hold of the laptop desk, she tried to move it off him, but Edward caught it and held fast.

"Bella!" he protested, guiding the desk back. "Stop that. I'm almost done." He sighed, shaking his head.

He hadn't even looked at her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, laying down again and turning away from him so he couldn't see the tears that welled in her eyes automatically. Rejection stung horribly making her eyes burn and her throat tight.

Edward's hands stilled on the keys, plunging the room into silence save her deliberately even breaths as she tried not to cry.

His hand on her shoulder made her flinch.

"Bella?" he said her name slowly, uncertainly. "Are you... Are you crying?" His tone was horrified.

"No," she lied, but her voice wavered.

The bed shifted, and she heard a clatter - Edward putting his laptop and desk to the side. He laid down beside her, his gentle fingers on her cheeks, finding them wet. "Oh, Bella."

Frustrated with herself and chaffing, Bella batted his hand away, furiously wiping away her tears. "It's nothing. It's just hormones."

'It's not nothing," he said quietly, brushing her hair back over her shoulder so he could kiss her cheek. "Especially not if I hurt your feelings. Please look at me."

Biting the inside of her cheek, trying to get her emotions under control, Bella rolled onto her back but didn't look at him. She closed her eyes when he began to press tiny, sweet kisses along her hairline. "I'm very sorry," he rumbled, his lips against her ear. Bella shivered. "You caught me mid-thought. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She sighed. Melting a little. "It's important. It's work. I shouldn't have grabbed your desk like that."

He hummed, kissing down her jaw, her chin, and finally lingering at her lips. "You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever," he said, his tone absolutely sincere before he kissed her.

Bella forgot what the word rejection even meant as he kissed her. No, he wanted her as she wanted him. She was his, and he was hers, and all was right in the world.

"Now," Edward said softly when they were both panting. His fingers brushed the side of her cheek, and her arms were wound around his neck. "What did you want to talk about?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Bella couldn't answer. There was no part of her that could say the words, not when he was looking at her like he was... his green eyes gentle yet intense. She didn't want to have a discussion about it, and if she spoke, a discussion there would be.

So instead, she ran her fingers across his chest as she'd been imagining all night, feeling the hardness of his muscles. Edward looked confused, simply watching her as she ran her hand down his shoulders, his arm, finally wrapping her fingers around his wrist.

Her heart was beating of control as she tugged, pulling the hand he was not propped up on between them.

"Bella..." he murmured, beginning to catch on.

Taking a deep breath, not letting him distract her, Bella pressed his palm to her chest, remembering what it felt like that first time, nearly two weeks before.

Edward's breath stuttered, but he didn't drop his hand when she let go of his wrist. His eyes were wide, a little scared, but dark with the same desire she felt. He swallowed hard, never breaking their gaze.

And then he gave in.

When he claimed her mouth, his kiss was more urgent than it had been just a moment before. His hand cupped and fondled her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple through the cloth of her nightshirt. Bella gasped and moaned into his mouth, running her fingers along the strong muscles of his shoulders and back.

He didn't rush, and she didn't push him, enjoying the sensation of his light caresses, his lips moving on her, and his tongue sliding along hers. He'd snaked his arm under her shoulders, pulling them until they were laying side by side, their legs tangled as they kissed.

Bella gripped his hair when his fingers slid up under her nightshirt, skimming along her body, sending thrills down her spine. He palmed her breasts, and it was amazing, until...

Until her throat began to close, and her body stiffened.

He broke their kiss. "Bella. Bella, look at me."

She hadn't even realized her eyes were closed. She opened them quickly, locking her gaze with his.

He loved her. That one fact radiated out of him.

The lump in her throat loosened, and she leaned forward kissing his chin, thrusting her chest at him so he would know it was okay to keep going.

He kept his gaze steady on her as he let his hands move again, brushing over her nipples. "I love you," he murmured intently.

"I love you," she answered in a whisper, simply holding onto him as her tensed muscles loosened.

She loved him and she trusted him.

He was slow as he touched her, telling her how much he loved her and how beautiful she was, how she felt in his arms.

And when the world had dwindled back down to only him, only them again, she closed the little distance between them, reclaiming his lips, letting her hands wander down to cup his ass, reveling in the way she could make him gasp with her touch.

"I want you," she mumbled against his lips.

She could feel him stir against her where their legs were tangled.

Taking that as agreement, Bella slipped her hands down the back of his pants, skimming his skin, memorizing the way his body felt under her fingertips. Never before had she been so completely enthralled in another person's body this way, fascinated by the way hard muscle met soft flesh. And holy crow, how the little noises he made as she touched him, explored him, were almost visceral. She felt each sound in her body - a tight coil that tugged at her nipples or made her rub her legs together, seeking sweet friction.

And if listening to him - touching him - was good, his caresses were better.

The way his eyes swept her nude frame, his fingers tracing the same trail, made her feel beautiful despite the awkward swell of her changing body. His touch was reverent and adoring. His quick intake of breath and his hardness pressed against her thigh chased away any uncertainty she might have felt that he would find her lacking somehow, unattractive.

She pushed his shoulder until he lay down on his back, and then she straddled his hips, steadying herself with her hands flat against his chest. For a long moment they were both still, his hands at her waist, his eyes on hers, both wrapped up in a bubble that was all heat, passion, love.

Slowly, his hands skimmed up her sides, his eyes never leaving hers. His smile was serene - breathtaking. He cupped her neck and then her cheeks, communicating without a single word. She was adored. Cherished.

Safe.

His.

Afterward, when she'd crumpled back to his side, breathless, her bones turned to a jelly-like consistency, she lay with her head on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around her, and his breath hot on the top of her head. She wasn't the only one who was trembling, not just from the aftermath of lovemaking but because she could never have imagined a love like this, a bliss beyond what she'd ever been capable of conjuring up.

Raising her head, she kissed him - a long, slow kiss. She tasted the salt of his skin on her tongue and knew what it was to be truly joined with another person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As I realize it is often a very thankless task to be my pre-reader, let me take this time to express my love and everlasting devotion to barburella and jfka06. And thanks to GinnyW for beta work!
> 
> I am participating in a pledge-a-thon to raise money for schools. For $5 you can receive a private outtake from me. I'll also be doing a live chat/interview on June 30. It's for a great cause and I'm quite proud to be a part of it. Find out more here: bit . ly/ptblkris


	21. A Long Time Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you in advance for making this fic over 3k reviews. I love you all and wish I could respond to you individually. Thanks so much

For a split second, when Edward stirred to the unmistakable scent of sex and the feel of a warm, small body in his arms, his heart seized up and his throat got tight. He squeezed his eyes closed, wanting to stave off guilt for just a few more seconds.

Then he remembered where he was, and whom he held so close.

A dream, he thought. He'd been having a dream and expected to wake up next to someone else. It had happened a small handful of times in his life when he'd given into loneliness if only for a few brief hours. He'd always regretted it the morning after.

And yet, his biggest mistake, when loneliness and a low alcohol tolerance had led him to commit to a complete stranger with the most sacred of vows, had become the greatest joy of his life. He would never have to wake up guilty again. At least, not about who he'd shared his bed, his body with.

How lucky. How unbearably lucky he'd been. If he hadn't been drunk he might not have slipped into the oppressive heat of the Las Vegas night. He might not have found himself outside the Mirage, and might not have heard her quiet crying. She would have slipped back into the crowd, another nameless face in the throng of people.

Edward opened his eyes.

It was doubtless she'd had to get up during the night, and so she wasn't facing him as she had been when they'd fallen asleep, their limbs still tangled up in each other. Her back was pressed against his chest, the skin between them super-heated and slick with sweat. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his fingers brushing the hardness of her swollen belly.

His.

There was nothing gentle or tender about the need that rose in him then. It was a primal need, wild and ancient. He wanted to claim her physically and surely as she'd claimed his heart and soul. She was his; his to protect and only his to hold. He was the only one who would ever touch her this way again.

Edward drew in a deep breath, his nose pressed into her hair. He sought for a measure of calm, controlling the beast-heart that had momentarily taken over his actions. There would be time to lose themselves to passion. There would be times when their lovemaking could be fierce - as strong and overwhelming as his love for her and hers for him.

WIth his hand spread wide, cupping their baby, their daughter, through her skin, Edward reminded himself that now was not that time. Bella was tough as nails, so much stronger than she gave herself credit for, but the life she carried was delicate and frail.

Gentle, he reminded himself.

And he wasn't adverse to that plan in the slightest.

Bringing his hand up away from her waist, he first brushed the hair off her shoulder, pressing kisses along the smooth expanse of skin. With his nose skimming the line of her neck, he reflected that the smell of her lightly floral body wash, sweat, and sex was a potent mixture. He'd already stirred against her, where her ass brushed him, but that smell and the way she began to wriggle in her sleep made him harder.

As he ran his hand down her arm, stroking with long, slow movements, he brought the blankets down. He wanted to look on her naked body as he touched her. She was beautiful, and he wanted to drink her in, memorize the shape and feel of her.

When his questing fingers crept between her legs she whimpered, still asleep but waking. He smiled, his lips pressed where her shoulder met her neck.

He brushed the tips of his fingers over her before he centered on her clit, stroking in increasingly insistent circles.

Bella moaned and then came awake with a gasp, her back arching against his chest.

"I love you," he whispered quickly against her ear, his voice gravely.

She sighed, her hand coming up, finding first his cheek before she slid her fingers into his hair. "Edward," she mumbled, her voice high pitched and breathy.

He used his legs to guide hers apart. Heat. God, he craved her.

With his hands at the back of her thigh, his fingertips pressing into her skin, he entered her slowly, revelling in the sensation of her heat closing around him inch by inch. Her fingers tightened in his hair.

He pressed their bodies together, his arms around her, his lips against her, murmuring soft, lovely things in her ear. Her responses were mostly wordless: sounds that vibrated at the back of her throat, wanton moans. Occasionally, his name would slip from her lips.

He'd never been so fond of his own name.

Bella pushed up onto her arms. He was lost in her body, her scent, the sound of her voice, and the feel of being inside her.

He felt complete.

When they were both spent, she turned in his arms, her lips against at his throat, pressing open mouthed kisses there as he struggled to control his breathing.

"Good morning," he murmured when she'd kissed her way up to his lips.

Her smile was slow, bashful, her cheeks pink. "That was a nice way to wake up. I could get used to it."

Edward chuckled, cuddling her closer. "I think I could, too." He kissed her slowly. "Happy birthday, my beautiful Bella."

She kissed him back. "So far? Best birthday ever."

_**~0~** _

"It's real now, isn't it?"

Edward looked up, brought out of a daydream state. He'd been watching Bella with his mother across the way, both of them chatting animatedly about the house they were touring. Alice was with them, and Edward hadn't noticed she'd gravitated to his side until she spoke.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully, startled and confused about her question.

Her expression was patient. "You are so lucky that the rest of the family aren't as nosy as I am. She was sleeping in the other room. She isn't now. It's real now. Everything."

Edward grimaced. Alice had always been very perceptive.

"You don't have to say anything, Edward." Her voice was quiet, unassuming. "I had the same doubts Jasper did, Rosalie did. We didn't want anyone to take advantage of you."

"She's not -"

"I realize that," Alice said quickly, holding up a hand. "I realized that right away."

Edward breathed a small sigh. "Yes. It's real now," he admitted quietly, allowing a small smile to tug at his lips. It felt good to acknowledge how important the last week and a half of his life was. It had been difficult not to celebrate, shout his happiness from every available rooftop.

Alice slipped her hand in his and squeezed tightly. "I'm glad. Really."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, smiling at his brother's girlfriend.

Minutes later, he lost track of Bella. He moved through the house, uneasy until he found her in the master bedroom. Breathing with relief, he stepped quietly toward her, his steps even against the wood floor. She turned to him, smiling and extending a hand.

"This house is beautiful," she said quietly after he'd tucked her under his arm.

"I like this alcove a lot," he agreed, gesturing at the little nook just off the well lit, airy bedroom. "It would be nice to have a little office in the bedroom."

She glanced up at him. "Maybe," she said. "I was thinking though, maybe for a little while, it could be a convenient nursery?"

He smiled, slipping his arms around her waist, holding her close. "You want the baby close at first? We can do that. A crib just below the window here." He gestured to the window that faced the backyard.

"Yes. Exactly."

They were quiet for a minute. "Do you want this house?" he asked, dipping his head so his lips were close to her ear.

Bella didn't answer right away, but wound her fingers through his. It was a gorgeous house, great for a growing family and nearer to his parents' house than the mansion. "It's a lot," she hedged.

It really wasn't a lot for the current market for a four bedroom, three bath home. But Bella was young. She'd never had occasion to look for a home, let alone a home in the heart of a big city like Chicago. It was a good investment, and he liked the house as well as she seemed to.

He could see raising a family here.

Taking her hand, Edward led Bella back downstairs to join Esme, Alice, and the Realtor. "We want to make an offer on this house," he said decisively.

_**~0~** _

"So how's life off the job? Keeping yourself busy?" Alice asked.

The family had gathered to help Edward and Bella pack some things away before the latest open house. Bella was still nervous that they'd made an offer on one house before the other sold. What had Edward told his brother about counting his chickens before they were hatched?

Rosalie, Alice, and Bella had taken a break to get drinks for everyone.

"I joined a prenatal yoga class," Bella said with a small smile.

"Are you being vigilant?" Rosalie asked. "I know it's scary to think about, but you never know if that guy attacked you at random or if he'd been watching you for some reason."

Bella shivered, looking down at the table.

"Rosalie," Alice rebuked, rubbing Bella's back soothingly.

"I know it's scary, but it's not something that's wise to forget about," Rosalie said, her voice more gentle.

"She's right." Bella took a deep breath. "And I have thought about it. We're being careful. I'm being careful, believe me."

They didn't need to know about the man who followed her discreetly, keeping watch. As Edward promised, he wasn't as obtrusive as she'd originally feared. He was rather a nice man. His form was smaller than she expected and unassuming. Eleazar Ortega had analytical eyes that missed nothing.

"I'm still not used to Rosalie being so protective," Bella admitted to Alice a few minutes later when they were alone.

Alice smiled sadly at her. "Rosalie knows what it's like to be attacked," she said quietly.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry." Bella frowned. "Really."

"Yeah." Alice patted her arm. "It's a hell of a way to find something in common, but I'm glad she's coming around."

"I understand. She was right not to trust me right away." Bella sighed, telling herself at least, if there was still a lot they hadn't told his family, at least they weren't lying about the most important thing now. "I just wish it hadn't spread to the rest of the family."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh." Bella rubbed the back of her neck, blushing. "I may have heard you talking to Rosalie when you stayed over... you know, when the boys all went camping? I heard when she said Carlisle and Esme were ignoring Emmett because of Edward marrying me."

Alice's face scrunched up. "Oh, Bella. That all has nothing to do with you. That's been brewing for a long, long time, and frankly, I'm glad."

"You're glad?"

"Yeah, I really am. This family knows how to do guilt. They carry it like a second skin." Alice sighed. "Carlisle and Esme will never forgive themselves for letting that bastard take Edward. They overcompensate at times. When they think Edward will let them."

"And Edward feels guilty for everything," Bella agreed with a sigh.

"Yeah. Like it's his fault he had money and Jasper and Emmett didn't." She rolled her eyes. "I think you're a conduit, which sucks for you but ultimately..." Alice shrugged. "They're all saying a lot of things that should have been said a long time ago."

Bella turned this over in her head. She was about to speak again when a movement caught her eye. "Oh, fuck."

Alice followed her gaze out the window where Edward Cullen the First was getting out of his car. "This is going to be interesting," she muttered.

Quickly, the two women headed out to where the rest of the family was gathered in the living room. Bella's heart twisted. They all looked happy: a happy family for that split second. Looking over and seeing her in the doorway, Edward's grin only widened.

"Edward," she said quietly, taking his hand. "Your -"

She was cut off by a furious knocking on the door.

Edward's smile fell.

"It's your grandfather," she said softly.

"Yes. I figured that."

The pounding continued, and for a few more seconds, nobody moved. Edward looked slightly green as he took a step forward.

"No," Carlisle said suddenly, holding his hand out to stop his son's forward motion. "Let me."

"This isn't his fight. I should -" Edward began, but Bella stopped him.

She pushed up onto her tiptoes, whispering in his ear. "Let him help you. Let him be your father."

It was the absolute ferocity in Carlisle's expression that made Bella say it. She was protective of Edward and wanted nothing more than to protect him from his grandfather who would hurt him if he had the chance to open his mouth. But looking at Carlisle, she saw a mirror of what she felt. He would protect his son at any cost.

Carlisle was already stalking toward the door. He opened it without a trace of his typical gentleness.

There was a moment of tense silence as father and son faced off.

"I could have guessed you were behind all this madness. Let me by, Carlisle."

"I don't believe you're welcome here."

"I'm in no mood for your dramatics, boy."

"And I am not a boy, Father. Unless you've come to apologize to your grandson -"

"Apologize?" The elder Cullen scoffed. "I came here to stop this infantile madness. Was it you who put him up to selling this house?"

Edward's fists clenched, and Bella wrapped her arm more firmly around his waist.

Surprisingly, Carlisle just laughed. "And you accuse me of being dramatic. No one is putting Edward up to anything. It was his decision, and as this is his home -"

"I've heard enough from you. My business is with my grandson. I have no desire to speak to you at all."

"And I already told you, you aren't welcome here," Carlisle said smoothly, not showing any signs of backing down.

Edward surged forward then, unable to hold back any longer. "He's right," he said, opening the door wider. "You made it clear to me that you don't approve of me, my choices, or my family. You needn't concern yourself with us anymore."

"How very convenient. You claim your independence by selling a house that's been in the family since before even I was born!"

"It's my choice, my house."

"Only because I gave it to you," the old man hissed.

"And that is a gift you cannot yank back at your whim," Carlisle snapped. "That, Father, is a choice you'll have to live with."

Edward the first sneered, staring at his son incredulously. "You think you have a right to lecture me on my choices?" He looked significantly at Edward. "Or was it someone else who followed the direction of the devil and subsequently abandoned their child to me."

"I won't call my son a mistake." Carlisle's voice was level again, but Bella thought she heard a tremor in it. "You made your choices too. You could have helped me learn how to be a good father, though I suspect you'd have to have been a good father in the first place."

Bella balked, and everyone standing around her gaped, shocked as she was that Carlisle would be so rude to anyone, let alone his father.

The color of red the elder Cullen was turning could not have been a healthy shade. He stepped forward, grabbing the front of Carlisle's shirt and yanking him forward with surprising strength for a man of his age. Beside Bella, Esme gasped.

Carlisle merely looked tired. "What are you going to do? The last time I told you something you didn't want to hear, you hit me and kicked me out of your house."

Bella's stomach churned, her hand shooting to her mouth.

"I won't hit you back; you know that," Carlisle said calmly.

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes," Edward Senior quoted, pushing his son away. "You are just as prone to hysterics now as you were then." He waved an angry finger in Carlisle's face. "I raised you to be a humble, righteous man. If you had listened -"

"I did listen. Not only did I listen, but I learned, which, I think is the difference between you and me. You preach, but I practice."

Edward the First looked both livid and confused by his son's continued defiance. Carlisle took the chance to press forward.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you," Carlisle quoted. "It's been over thirty years, and you haven't forgiven me for not being the son you wanted me to be, the perfect saint without sin. What good are your words if you don't live by them?"

For once, Edward's grandfather seemed stricken rather than angry.

"I really wish you could see what you're throwing away," Carlisle continued quietly. "But until you can, I will correct the mistakes of my past. You won't hurt my son - any of my family - ever again."

"Please leave, Grandfather," Edward added after a tense moment.

The old man's eyes narrowed. "The house -"

"The house is for sale, sir," Edward interrupted. "If you want it back so much, I'm sure you can afford it."

Anger and disgust played out clearly on the Edward the First's face, but his response lacked its usual fervor. "You are as wretched as your father."

"God, I sincerely hope that's true," Edward returned fervently.

Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder, drawing him inside, and they closed the door without another moment's hesitation. For a long, drawn out handful of moments, they only looked at each other - two abandoned sons who'd finally faced down the man who was at the heart of all their insecurities; a father who had finally protected his son.

It was Emmett who finally broke the silence.

"Nicely done, Pops," he said, his tone lacking the usual volume but still sincere. He clapped his father on the shoulder.

A smile quirked at Carlisle's lips.

"Speaking of things that were a long time coming..." Alice muttered in Bella's ear.

Bella just shook her head, stepping to her husband's side and wrapping her arms around his waist.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much to my girls including jadedandboring who stepped in for beta services. I love you all so much.
> 
> So really. That pledge-a-thon thing? Gotta tell ya, I'm not doing so well here. What do I gotta do to earn your love (and $5 for a good cause? hmmm?) *puppy dog eyes* bit . ly/ptblkris
> 
> And please don't feel bad if you can't. It's a good cause and I wanna help out, that's all.


	22. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh, my lovelies. Again, I can't thank you enough for your continued support. Mwah.

There was not a lot Edward enjoyed more than seeing his carefully honed plans laid out on blueprint paper.

Well, he amended that thought, there used to be few things he enjoyed more. Now that he had Bella in his life, his blueprints had taken a serious nosedive amongst his favorite things.

Still, his life's work did give him a great happiness.

"I love the design of the roof on this particular building. That's quite inventive, Edward."

It was ridiculous how proud his father's words made him. Edward felt not unlike a child presenting a parent with some inane drawing they could coo over.

Then again, he had memories of visiting his parents' house occasionally when his brothers were very small. Silly or not, he remembered gazing longingly at his parents' refrigerator, laden with drawings and positive progress reports.

"Why should I celebrate your minor scholastic successes?" Grandfather had asked with a scoff. "That's not how the world works, boy. You'd do well not to expect a pat on the back for your every achievement.

He could see the man's point, but reflected privately that an ounce of praise every now and again might have done wonders.

"This is excellent work. It will be a credit to the company," Carlisle continued. It was easy to read the pride on his face as he looked up. "And it's no wonder the city asked you to submit a design for the new center."

Edward smiled, looking down at the plans. He was discovering there were some things in life - his father's praise for one - that never came too late.

"Are you going to try?"

"Ah, well I suppose that depends," Edward hedged. "I'd love to, but as it is, I'll be busy with the buildings for work, and then the baby." He chuckled. "The demands of having a family."

Carlisle grinned. "It's well worth the occasional disappointment, I'd say."

Edward smiled, nodding his agreement.

When Carlisle had stepped up to defend Edward against his grandfather, the rift between them that, no matter how they tried, they'd been unable to heal for over a decade had begun to close. The closeness they'd both wanted seemed within reach. Edward hadn't realized how deep his anger at being abandoned went, and for Carlisle, finally being able to stand up to his father had relieved a small measure of the guilt he'd carried with him since he was 15 years old.

Still, the cost of their freedom hadn't eluded Edward.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked gently.

Edward looked up, somewhat embarrassed. "I was just thinking of something Bella said some time ago. I know it's his own doing, but Grandfather's life must be so empty."

Carlisle's lips tugged downward. "I think it does you credit that you can think about that after everything he's done to you."

"More to you," Edward said softly. "Did he really hit you when you told him about me?"

His father glanced away, the features of his face tightening. "It was petty of me to bring that up, but it's something I've wanted to say for... a long time. With all his pious lectures, his hypocrisy has always been maddening to me. But to answer your question, yes. He hit me. Quite a lot, in fact."

Edward clenched his fists beneath the table. "I feel less sorry for him, now."

Carlisle was quiet for a long moment. "I don't think my father is evil, Edward. I think he was a man who was devastated by the death of his wife, my mother, who didn't know how to raise a child on his own. To be completely honest, I think he did the best he was capable of.

"You're right. His life is very lonely. I think he's been lonely all of my life, certainly. And yet, despite his pessimistic predictions, I've been, for the most part, a very happy man with a full life. I have a wife who has loved and supported me since we were children. My boys are all healthy, hardworking, and attached to wonderful women." He looked up, smiling genuinely at Edward. "And now that I've seen you finally happy, a husband and about to be a father, I want for absolutely nothing."

He shook his head, his expression slightly rueful. "I can't speak for you, of course, but I don't think my continued anger and bitterness could possibly punish him more than he's already punished himself, choosing not to be a part of our lives. Regardless of whether or not he ever hears me say it, I forgive him."

_**~0~** _

Bella blinked, staring down at the mountain of paperwork in front of her.

"You look a little shell shocked, Mrs. Cullen." The Realtor seemed amused.

"Well, it seems like all these official looking pieces of paper say I own a house."

Chuckling, the woman stood and offered her hand. "Congratulations," she said, shaking first Bella's then Edward's hands. "You'll have the key by Monday evening."

"I own a home," she repeated to Edward when the Realtor had gone.

By the way he pressed his lips together, she could tell he was trying not to laugh. "You do," he said seriously.

Bella blinked, abruptly overwhelmed. She was a homeowner, a wife, and someone's mother. Her life had been turned upside down, then right side up but totally turned around from what she was used to.

Of course, her first reaction was to burst into tears. She watched, helpless, as Edward's gorgeous smile melted into a look of vague horror. He was quick to pull her into his arms, holding her tight. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

The response she babbled couldn't have been very legible, but she thought the important words, among them "fine" and "fucking hormones", got through.

Edward chuckled with relieved nervousness and just held her, occasionally stroking her hair soothingly, his lips pressed to her temple.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled some seconds later, sniffling but getting a handle on herself. "It's just a lot."

"Don't you apologize, sweetpea."

It wasn't Edward who spoke, but the waitress. "Here you go. This'll fix you right up. On the house."

Bella was instantly distracted from her tears as the aroma of baked goods enveloped her. She wiggled out of Edward's grasp to lean forward. She's rarely felt so ravenous in her entire life.

It was a cookie the size of her head resting in a pan, covered with one, two, three scoops of chocolate ice cream. The warm smell of freshly baked cookie permeated the air, and Bella's mouth watered, already imagining the feel of the warmth of the cookie mixed with the cold of the ice cream.

Her look must have been comical because both Edward and the waitress laughed. At the moment, she simply didn't care. There was not a lot that was more important to her than getting to dive into this delicious dessert.

"Thank you," Edward said for both of them.

"It's no problem, doll," the waitress said, waving her hand. "I have four little ones of my own. Before I had the first, I could count on two hands the number of times I cried as an adult. When I was pregnant." She whistled lowly. "I needed all of my fingers and some of my toes to count the number of times a  _day_." She shook her head, laughing. "And I got frustrated at all those tears, which only made me cry harder of course!"

Bella was about to commiserate with that thought, but she'd put the first bite of cookie in her mouth and forgot about everything else. "Holy crow!" She moaned as she chewed and then looked up at Edward. "I feel the need to confess. I think I'm having an affair with this cookie."

The waitress laughed and clapped Edward on the shoulder. "Well, my work here is done. I'm sure I'll be seeing you often enough, Daddy, when the cravings hit." Shaking her head, the woman walked away.

"Is it really that good?" Edward asked, eying the cookie speculatively.

Bella brandished her fork. "Mine," she said simply.

Playfully, Edward stole a taste directly from her lips.

**~0~**

"Where to, Mrs. Cullen?"

Bella blinked, a little flustered. The movers were staring expectantly, and Bella's first instinct was to look over her shoulder, trying to determine who they wanted to talk to. Her second instinct when she realized they were looking at her was to tell them to go find Edward and ask him.

But Edward was gone - on a trip with one of his brothers back to the old house for some odds and ends. He'd told her he trusted her judgment completely.

"And besides, it's not like we're bolting the furniture down. We can change it whenever we want," he'd reasoned.

It was her house. Hers.

Homeowner. Wife. Mother.

"I want it kind of skewed this way." She indicated with her hands. "Facing the corner there."

She waited, almost as if she expected them to look annoyed, having to take orders from a kid, but they simply nodded and moved past her with the sofa.

"That's an excellent idea," Esme murmured, straightening up from where she'd been adding books to the built in shelves along the wall. She tilted her head, studying the workmen as they positioned the couch. "It's an excellent use of space for this room."

Feeling shy, Bella smiled.

"You know, dear, even if you decide you don't want to go into interior design, you do have a good eye for these kinds of things." She gestured around them. "I was thinking, we're going to be looking into buying our next fixer-upper. Would you like to go with Carlisle and me when we do? Maybe you'll get a feel for a related field."

"Oh!" Bella blinked, thinking the offer over, and smiled genuinely. "Yes. That actually sounds really fun."

For a moment, Esme looked so stunned, Bella almost took it back. Maybe it was an offer she'd only made because she was sure Bella would say no. But then her smile was so genuine, Bella had to smile awkwardly back.

"Good," Esme said easily, tempering her grin. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to you saying yes to me so quickly. I had all sorts of reasonable arguments prepared."

Bella felt a blush light her cheeks. "I'm trying to be better about that. It's just all this, all of you being so interested in me is kind of new. " She ducked her head, her tone soft. "I guess I've always been kind of a loner, like my mother. She left me to my own business. My father was that way to an extent, too. He had friends, but he liked being alone."

"Three people alone in the same house," Esme mused, her lips tugging downward. "That sounds very sad."

"It was..." Bella was about to protest, but she remembered Edward's revelation. "It was isolated," she finished quietly, realizing how well and truly lonely she'd been in her old life.

Esme patted her arm comfortingly. "I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your mother and father," she observed.

Bella just smiled. "Another time," she promised, knowing if they didn't get off this subject quick she was likely to start crying.

"Anytime." Esme held her gaze, making sure she understood. And Bella did. Her mother-in-law would be there for her if she ever wanted to talk.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

_**~0~** _

As the day was coming to a close, Bella leaned up against the wall, removed from the scene for a time. At that moment, she was content to be an outsider as she was witnessing a beautiful sight.

Between the movers and the eight of them, the new house had been well and thoroughly moved into. There were very few boxes lying about, still packed. The excess furniture was tucked away in storage for the time being and everyone was exhausted.

Exhausted, but happy.

The Cullens and their girlfriends were all sprawled over various pieces of furniture. As Bella watched they laughed and joked with each other, looking the picture of a close-knit family. Usually, when he interacted with his brothers, Edward carried a sense of wariness about him, and though their tones were teasing, Emmett and Jasper's jests had been tinged around the corner with bitterness in the past. Now there wasn't even a hint of that - at least not today. Their smiles were all easy and genuine.

And startlingly alike.

Looking at them all at once, Bella noticed for the first time that all three Cullen brothers had their father's lopsided grin. Emmett and Jasper's were wider and broader, but the movement was the same.

Looking at the three boys with their parents, Bella picked out physical characteristics on each of them. Edward had Carlisle's nose and Esme's high cheekbones. Jasper had his father's hair color. Emmett had his mother's eyes.

Would it be obvious - that her daughter didn't belong to this family by blood?

As if responding to Bella's sudden stress, the baby kicked at her.

Edward looked over at her then, seeming to realize she was pressed up against the wall rather than with the rest of them. His eyes drifted down, centering on her middle. Bella realized belatedly that she'd pressed her hands protectively over her bump.

His smirk gentled into an adoring smile, and he extended a hand toward her. Bella pushed off the wall immediately, letting him draw her to the sofa to sit at his side.

"She's moving?" Edward asked quietly, oblivious to the eyes that watched them.

Nodding, Bella took his hand, moving it down to the spot where she felt the fluttering of the baby's kicks. Edward had been able to feel her move for about a week and it delighted him every time.

Sitting on her other side, Emmett looked as curious as a five year old. "Can I feel?" he asked, eying her belly as if he was waiting for it to get up and do a dance.

"Um. Sure," Bella said shyly. She reached out, taking his big, meaty palm, and placed it where Edward's hand had been.

Emmett concentrated, frowning for a moment. Then he must have felt something because his face lit up. "That's... really freaky."

Edward rolled his eyes, tightening his grip around her shoulders. "Real nice, Emmett," he admonished, but there was no heat behind his chastisement.

"Well, it's weird when you think about it." He looked up at Bella. "There's something living in you. Don't you ever have the fear the little monster will go all Alien on you?"

"Don't call my daughter a monster," Edward warned. Again there was no real intent behind his words. They were all still joking.

Emmett grinned and patted Bella's stomach lovingly. "Can't wait to meet you, little chick-a-dee. Just remember. Uncle Emmett is the best."

Bella laughed along with the rest of them as a fight broke out between Emmett and Jasper as to who was going to be the best uncle. She laid her head on Edward's shoulder, letting her worries fade for the time being. Somehow she knew that her daughter's blood wasn't going to matter. She would be welcomed and cherished by this family no matter what.

At least, that was what she fervently hoped.

_**~0~** _

"I have good news!" Edward crowed one evening when he came home from work.

Bella stood on her tiptoes to give him a welcoming kiss. Wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close, Edward forgot what he was about to say and lost himself in her adoring attention.

He was happy. So happy, it was a little frightening.

Sometimes, he was still afraid to wake up and find it was all a dream.

Pulling back, Edward studied Bella's face, memorizing. He traced the pads of his fingers under her eyes. "You look tired," he observed.

"House hunting with your parents," she explained. "No big deal. I'm fine. You had news?"

"What?" he asked distractedly, busy caressing the fine lines her face, her perfect lips, and the shell of her adorably awkward ears.

Bella's breath stuttered and she caught his wrist, stilling his hand. "You have good news?" she reminded him.

"Oh, right." His smile was sheepish but unapologetic. "We got an offer on the other house."

Her eyes brightened, and she hugged him close with a little, happy noise. "That's great! Was it a good offer?"

"Just about our asking price," Edward confirmed. "There are still a few things to go over, of course, but it all looks good."

"What a relief," she sighed, looking genuinely pleased.

Edward smiled. It was a wonder to him, with all the changes going on in her own life, that his wife could be so caught up and concerned with not only his life but his family's. Bella's primary worry about the house not selling was not for them - they were fine even with just Edward's paycheck - but for his brothers.

She was such a kind soul.

"I have something I want to ask you about," he murmured, taking her hand and leading her to a little nook that was a favorite of theirs. He sat with his back against one wall of a window seat, facing her. "Please try not to think about the money involved when I ask you this, okay?"

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Edward..." she began warningly.

"Just hear me out. This is important to me."

She nodded, looking almost hilariously reluctant.

Edward smirked. "I know better than to think you'd let me get away with having a full on, proper wedding." The surprised and horrified look on her face confirmed his suspicions, and Edward snickered. "That's fine," he assured. "Anyway, I don't want to take away from Emmett and Rosalie anymore than I already have.

"But since their wedding is next month, I was thinking the timing is fortuitous. There's another stockholders' meeting in Vegas two weeks after the wedding." He took her hands, looking her in the eye. "My idea is this: I would love to rewrite the time we had there. Obviously, things were less than ideal. What I want is to take everyone - all eight of us - there for a little vacation. Perhaps for the week. What do you say to that?"

Bella had pressed her lips into a thin line as she thought. The silence stretched on, and Edward was beginning to think it had been a colossally bad idea. What had he been thinking? She'd been at her most desperate and devastated in Vegas. What on earth made him think she would want to go back there?

But before he could take it back, Bella exhaled slowly. "Rewrite the bad stuff," she echoed, thinking it over. She looked up at him. "I'll be huge."

"You'll be 33 weeks, which is still safe to fly. We'll have to get a note from your doctor confirming your due date, but it shouldn't be a problem. And we'll be in touch with a great doctor in Vegas just in case."

She laughed. "You've thought this out to the letter, haven't you?"

"Maybe it sounds silly." He sighed, feeling wistful. "Vegas can be a very romantic city if you look at it the right way. I went there for so many years alone, watching some of the others take their spouses or lovers to shows, indulge in suites and the like." He squeezed her hands. "I would love to share that with you. And I would love to celebrate us with my family."

Bella looked off, nibbling her bottom lip. "And Alec?" she asked after a moment, her voice nothing but a whisper.

At the sound of the other man's name, Edward's blood ran cold - a stark contrast to the anger that sent fire-hot flames through the center of his chest. He shifted so he could put his arms around her, hoping she felt safe.

"We'll find a permanent solution to Alec. I promise," he said fervently. She didn't know it, but he'd hired a private investigator, trying to find something - anything - he could use.

But until then...

"The reason you ended up in Vegas still works in our favor," he reminded gently. " _If_ Alec is watching, he won't be able to get to you there. There are too many people. It's very crowded." He kissed her forehead. "He's never going to touch you, Bella. I promise."

She was trembling slightly but laid her head trustingly against his shoulder. "I hate that he's hanging over us, still." She took a deep breath. "And I can't live my life in fear, waiting for him to strike."

When she looked up at him, her expression was determined. "Yes. I would love to go to Vegas with you, with all of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Huge thanks to TwilightMundi, and as usual barburella and GinnyW for all their help. Mwah!
> 
> For those of you who have donated for classrooms, thank you! I think I've settled on an outtake for my story And Yet So Far that will show Edward finding out about Elsie as well as the birth of Edward and Bella's first child. But I'm open to suggestions!
> 
> Remember, if you have five spare bucks, and want an outtake from me, hit up ptb and donate today! bit . ly/ptblkris


	23. Sweet With a Touch of Sour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=MBMMGSbanner1.jpg) ****  
> 
> 
> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=MBMMGSbanner.jpg)
> 
> A/N: Ah, my lovelies. Extra post for you this week. I hope you don't mind.

When Bella arrived home from her prenatal yoga class, Edward was instantly distracted from the phone conversation he'd been having.

Her hair was up in a high ponytail. She wore a simple tank top that hugged her curves and did nothing to hide the swell of her belly. At twenty-seven weeks, she was still small but undeniably pregnant.

"Edward? Are you paying attention?" Felix asked.

He cleared his throat. "Red tape. We can break ground in the Spring, though," he murmured back distractedly. When Bella looked over at him, taking a long drink of water, he smiled and extended a hand toward her.

As Felix continued to babble in his ear about changes that needed to be made before the final approval could go through, Edward took Bella's hand, pulling her down on the bed beside him.

"I need to take a shower," she whispered against his ear when he began kissing the exposed arch of her neck.

Edward shook his head. He preferred to keep her right there with him. She was far from disgustingly sweaty, though he could taste the salt on her skin when he kissed her shoulder.

As he said his goodbyes to Felix, he unhooked the Bluetooth from his ear, tossing it away, as he laid Bella back on the bed, kissing her all the way down.

"How was your class?" he asked as he stretched his body along hers, resting his hand over her bump.

"Good," she said, skimming the tip of her nose against his cheek as she pressed a sweet kiss to his chin. "It's nice. Normal. It's nice to talk to other women who are going through this." Her eyes met his, twinkling with mischief. "And comparing how our husbands, boyfriends, and baby daddies are holding up."

"Uh oh." He pretended to be concerned. "How am I doing in the ranks?"

She laughed, her expression suddenly shy. "I'm a lucky woman."

They cuddled close another few moments, their lips speaking for them and their legs tangling together.

"What did you mean 'normal'?" Edward asked suddenly, turning her words over in his head.

She pulled back a little, the look in her eyes slightly wary. "Well..." she hedged. "The first few months, after I ran, everything was surreal. Everything. Even when I was calm, I felt like I was living someone else's life. I didn't feel," she searched for the word, "right.

"But the last month or so, that feeling is almost gone. It's helped that your brothers and Rosalie have all but forgotten they ever distrusted me - not that I blamed them." Her eyes held his, and he could see the adoration and love - a reflection of his own feelings. "And of course, you and me feels right."

He stroked her cheek with the pads of his fingers, waiting for her to continue.

"When I was at the class today, it occurred to me that it wasn't so long ago that this pregnancy scared the hell out of me." The skin around her eyes tightened and she looked down, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. "I wanted to protect her; I've always wanted to protect her, but it was also... When I thought of myself as pregnant, it felt awful. Wrong," she admitted quietly.

"It's completely understandable you felt that way," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers, hoping the affectionate gesture was a comfort, a sign he didn't think even remotely less of her for having thought that way.

"I'm glad I don't anymore," she whispered back. "With those other women, I can see that every pregnancy is a journey, and every one is different. This other girl? She doesn't even know who her baby's father is. Can you imagine that?"

He shook his head, curling her closer.

"I know I'm so lucky to have you." She trembled a little as she spoke, and Edward felt a chill go down his spine as he considered just how lucky they both were.

What would have happened to her if they hadn't met? Bella was strong. She could have made it alone, but what then? And what would his life have looked like without her.

Edward didn't want to imagine.

He took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing the ring that bound them together legally and symbolically. "I have something I want to ask you."

"Sounds serious."

He chuckled. "I've told you before, I hate these rings. I want you to let me replace them."

As he predicted, she groaned. "Does it really matter that much to you?" She asked with a sigh. "It's enough for me that you're wearing your wedding ring on your left hand all the time now."

Edward sucked in a breath and grimaced. "You noticed that, did you?"

"That you switched your ring at night? Yes. I noticed. I wondered why you didn't just take it off." She kissed his nose. "Rings aren't such a big deal anymore. A lot of people don't wear theirs constantly." She eyed him. "If we'd done things normally, I would have been okay with no rings at all."

The thought made him frown. "I know I'm old fashioned, but yes, it's important to me." He looked at her steadily. "I won't be insulted if you don't want to wear your ring all the time."

She rolled her eyes. "No, you won't be insulted, but you will be hurt."

Edward couldn't argue with that. "I was raised by a man from a different time, I suppose. There are some things he put in my head I won't ever be able to shake, though I'm not so sure that's such a bad thing in this particular case. The rings are just part of that package." He held up their left hands. "These rings are a symbol of a charade, and while I don't regret how we found each other, I want them to reflect what we are to each other now."

"And we're something gold, I'd expect," she grumbled.

He laughed. "Platinum, I'd say. But I'm open to suggestions." He tapped her chin. "We can find something right for us. Together, unless you're completely disinterested."

She breathed out slowly. "I'm not disinterested. I actually like that a lot." She looked him in the eye, her expression softening. "I'm not completely averse to jewelry. I like it a lot better when there's a meaning behind it." Her grin turned slightly wicked. "Besides, if I choose it with you, I can control how much you get to spend on me."

"On us," he corrected, grinning back. "See? We're getting the hang of this marriage business, learning to compromise."

She made a face at him. Chuckling, he pulled her closer for another, more thorough kiss.

_**~0~** _

Bella stared at the phone, so nervous she was nearly gnawing through her lip.

"She can't bite you all the way from Forks."

Bella jumped, whirling around to find Leah leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, looking - as she tended to - impatient.

Though Bella had made the case that she wasn't working and therefore was more than capable of keeping house for the time being, Edward had argued for keeping Leah on as a housekeeper. It wasn't that Bella had any problem with the woman, she just wanted to find a way to contribute. But Edward made the point that he paid Leah a very handsome salary with fantastic benefits.

He'd won that argument, and Bella had to admit she was glad both for the company and because she really,  _really_ hated cleaning bathrooms.

Seeing as Leah was the only other one that knew the truth, that morning, Bella had confessed she was nervous about calling her mother - a decision she and Edward had come to several nights before.

"I'm not afraid of her bite," Bella mumbled. "This just isn't easy."

"Are you going to tell her the whole truth?"

Bella scoffed. "We haven't even told his family the whole truth." She sighed. "I don't know. It depends on what I find out. The last time I called my friend Jake, he said Alec was hanging out with her a lot. I have no idea what he's told her," she said sadly.

The other woman studied her intently. "Well, if she's any kind of mother at all, she'll believe you. If she doesn't, she's not worth your time."

Transferring the phone from one hand to another over and over, Bella didn't answer. Leah had hit the nail on the head. Bella was terrified this call to Renee was going to sever their ties forever, or at least for the foreseeable future.

But Renee was her last tie. One way or another, if she could resolve this one loose end, she could live her life normally.

Well, as normally as the lingering threat of Alec allowed.

"Like a band-aid," Leah advised. "Rip it off. Get 'er done."

"Thanks," Bella said wryly. She watched the other woman retreat, taking the garbage outside.

After another minute or so of glaring at her phone, Bella took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed the send button.

"Hello?" her mother answered after a few rings. Tears automatically sprang to Bella's eyes, and she forgot to speak. "Hello?" her mother asked again, sounding annoyed.

"Mom?" Bella gasped.

There was a pause. "Oh, my God. Bella?"

_**~0~** _

When Edward got home early, Bella knew Leah must have called him. She'd been on such a crying jag she hadn't been able to answer his phone calls.

So it was understandable that he was a bit panicky when he walked in the door, calling her name.

Feeling ridiculous and more than a little exasperated with herself, Bella quickly wiped at her eyes. When he got to her, of course Edward folded her into his arms, rocking her. "Ah, Bella. I told you to call her when I was home."

Forcing herself to calm down, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. "I'm fine," she said hoarsely. "Really."

"Yes, crying so hard you can't pick up the phone is a very good indicator of fine," he murmured back, his tone carefully light.

Bella snorted and sniffled again. "Really. I'm fine," she tried again. "They're happy tears. I just got overwhelmed."

He shifted, taking her face in his palms, searching her eyes. "You're really fine?" he asked slowly.

Putting her hands over his, she nodded, beaming. "She believed me," she whispered.

As Bella had suspected, shortly after James's attack on her, Alec had begun to pester Renee. He'd insisted that he'd found out Bella had run off with a man that kept her high on drugs and delusional.

"He said his friend had seen you all cracked out and irrational," Renee had cried. "I didn't think it could be true, but I don't understand what's happening."

Bella had assured her she wasn't currently, nor had she ever, been on any drugs. Then she'd told Renee most of the story - the whole story - about Alec. The only part she left out was that the baby was his.

She was surprised when it became apparent that Alec hadn't mentioned any baby. Bella found herself in the awkward position of admitting to her mother she was pregnant. She kept her lie simple, letting Renee believe a version of the story they'd told the Cullens - that she and Edward had an ongoing affair - and that when Alec had gotten scary, she'd run to him. Renee assumed she got pregnant after she ran, and Bella let her believe it.

"I told her I got in over my head with him too quickly. That I didn't know how to tell her and then it was too late; I had to run. She said she was sorry I felt I couldn't go to her all these years," Bella said, sniffling. "And she said she would love to come to Vegas to meet everyone."

"That's good. Really good. Right?" He wiped the remnants of her tears away.

"It is. It was just... this moment got so big in my head, you know? She always loved Alec, and she says, he's been good to her since I've been gone." Her voice was bitter as she spoke. "But she said he's been weird, especially lately. Very insistent that she try to find me and talk some sense into me.

"See, Renee didn't understand why I left, but she was okay with it. She thought I was breaking this rut I was in, so she got annoyed that Alec wanted to horn in on that." She looked up, smiling sadly. "I guess she saw his pushy side up close." She breathed in deep. "I was just so relieved."

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "Well, that's a relief. I wasn't looking forward to disliking my mother-in-law." For a moment, he studied her. "Of course, it does leave the question of what we're going to do when she sees you're more pregnant than we suspected."

Bella swallowed hard past the lump that rose suddenly in her throat, her heartbeat picking up. "I was thinking about that, too," she said slowly.

"And?" Edward prompted, his voice soft and patient.

"And..." Bella willed her heart to slow so she could speak before her voice lost volume. "I really think we should tell everyone when we're all together in Vegas." Her eyes found his so he could see what she meant.

He sucked in a breath. "Everything?"

"That's the only way it's going to work. Right now, my mother knows one version of events and they know another. It's all going to fall apart." She breathed in deep, steadying her reeling emotions. "Although they may hate me again. It has to be done."

"No. I don't think so," he said slowly, brushing her hair back out of her face. "I think they'll understand, Bella."

She was looking down. "Will they?" Her words were shaky. "I know without a doubt you think of her as your daughter." She cupped a hand protectively over her belly, wishing so badly that she could make the world perfect for her little girl. "And that's the most important thing. But will they accept her?"

Edward shifted, putting both his hands over hers. She felt his eyes on her and had to look up, finding them fierce with intensity, very serious. "She  _is_ my daughter. They'll understand."

The certainty in his eyes made the ache in her heart just a little easier to bear. She lifted her free hand, resting her knuckles against his cheek. "I really hope you're right."

He ducked his head a little, pressing a tiny kiss to the tip of her nose. "You know I will be right here with you, right? You know I'll be there no matter what."

Again the weight around her heart lightened and her answering smile was small, but heartfelt. "That I do know."

_**~0~** _

"I think Mirage is a perfectly beautiful name," Edward insisted, stroking his fingers along her stomach. "And it's meaningful, because it's where we met."

"Yes, I understood what you were going for there."

Bella was scratching his head as she spoke. Edward didn't know when he'd been more content and happy in his life. He was kneeling on the floor while Bella sat on the sofa, her belly bared for this most important discussion... and because he couldn't seem to stop touching her skin anyway.

"We're not naming her Mirage," Bella insisted.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Bellagio?"

"Yeah. We'll call her Bella for short," Bella smirked, her tone sarcastic.

"Tropicana? Oh! Treasure. For Treasure Island."

"Edward, the only Casino that has a mildly acceptable name is Paris, and no. Just no."

He pretended to frown as if in great concentration. "Aria?"

"Pretty, but no." Bella's smile was so sweet. She was charmed. He could tell.

"Rio?"

She cocked her head to the side, her breath coming short. "Riley."

"What?" He pushed up off the floor to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What about Riley?" she asked quietly. "For real."

"Riley," he repeated, trying it on for size. With a grin, he rubbed his hand in light circles over her belly. "Riley what?"

"Hmmmm," Bella hummed, thinking about it. "Elizabeth goes well with anything. I like it a lot."

Edward's lips twitched down. "That was my paternal grandmother's name," he said quietly, his voice unassuming.

"Oh! Well, we could always try something else."

"No, I like it. It doesn't have to mean anything." He pursed his lips, his hand stilling as he felt the baby move. With a smile, he leaned down to kiss the increasingly larger bump. "What do you think, baby girl? Are you a Riley Elizabeth?" He pressed his ear against her belly, listening intently, his head jostling as Bella laughed at his antics.

"She doesn't seem to be arguing," he reported, lifting his head.

"Riley Elizabeth Cullen. I really like it," Bella said, her voice far away and thoughtful.

Edward was struggling to temper his grin enough that it wouldn't reach his ears. Obviously, he'd understood their daughter would have his last name, but hearing it out loud was a greater joy than he could have understood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As usual, I don't name my fic babies. This one was named by GinnyW. Much love. And thanks to Plummy for beta work and Barburella for arguing with me.
> 
> SO! The lovely Beffers87 made me two gorgeous banners quite a while ago, and I didn't know how to show them off! Barburella uploaded them to AO3 for me. Do take a look. I LOVE my banners. My other banner is made by the wonderful Shug.
> 
> I updated again so quickly because I wanted to remind you that you could donate to get an outtake from And Yet So Far from me. As part of that event, I'm going to be doing a live interview and chat on Saturday. You're welcome to come to the chat even if you don't wish to donate. I'm not even remotely shy, so I'll answer any questions you want!
> 
> projectteambeta dot com / back-to-school-fundraiser /


	24. Viva Las Vegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Better get this out of the way now. If any of y'all are gonna be at Comic Con, I don't have tickets, but I'll be around. Tweet me! Say hi!

Bella yawned sleepily, rubbing her eyes and looking forward to returning to her comfortable bed and her husband who was most definitely a snuggler.

A whimper caught her attention as she stepped back in the room. She froze.

Edward looked... distressed. His features were pinched, his head thrashing, and his voice whining in the back of his throat. Bella shot over to the bed as quickly as she was able, sitting down, trying to figure out what was wrong.

He was dreaming, she realized.

Well, that was a switch.

Carefully, Bella reached out, smoothing his hair back and shushing him comfortingly. Was she supposed to wake him up?

He'd always shaken her awake. How often had he watched her thrash like this?

Her hand on his shoulder, Bella jostled him, calling his name.

It took a heartbreaking minute - she hated seeing him so obviously distraught - but finally, Edward came awake with a gasp. He sat up straight in bed, his eyes frenzied, his hands held outward for something. His eyes were frantic until he found her.

"Bella?" he rasped, his hands going to her face. He looked her over frantically. "Bella?" He gathered her into his arms.

"Just a dream," she murmured comfortingly, running her fingers through his hair.

"I thought you were gone. You disappeared." His breathing was getting slower but only just. His breath was hot against her ear.

"I'm right here," she assured.

He scooted back, laying down again and taking her with him. He curled himself around her, the movement distinctly protective. He breathed deep, running his fingers over her hair, her face, down her sides to her belly. He pressed the bump and calmed down further.

"We're okay," Bella said softly.

"I love you," he said, his lips against her cheek.

"I love you, too."

They fell asleep again tangled together.

_**~0~** _

"You look lovely."

Bella looked up, eyeing her husband in the mirror as she frowned at her reflection. "You're required to say that."

He chuckled and pushed up off the bed. Still brushing out her hair, she watched him, biting her bottom lip because he looked so damn good in a tuxedo, it was sinful.

She was sure she looked like a blimp.

Edward wrapped his arms around her, bringing her back to rest against his chest as he met her gaze in the mirror. He wound a finger through one of the gentle curls that flowed around her face. "You have no idea how breathtaking you are," he murmured, kissing the side of her head.

She scoffed but smiled, noticing the way her cheeks tinged a pleased pink. "Don't overdo it. Just because it's required by law, doesn't mean you have to be an overachiever."

He snorted. "I signed no such contract. It may have been one of my vows, but I don't remember."

"Don't start," she warned. "We've been over this. It's too soon to renew our vows, first of all, and secondly, I'm not going to step on Emmett and Rosalie's toes."

Edward held his hands up in a peacemaking gesture. "I said nothing except my wife is beautiful. That's the simple truth."

"You're hopeless." Bella turned, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smirked, tilting his head down to kiss her. As his lips worked with hers, he let his hands drift down, resting on either side of her belly.

"This is so sexy." His voice was gravelly, making her heart pound as he stroked his fingers against her side. His touch was slow, his eyes holding hers. "You look amazing. You may give Rosalie a run for her money."

"Ha," she laughed breathlessly. "You better let me finish getting ready. If we're late, Rosalie will kill me and your mother will kill you."

Dipping his head, he nipped at her neck, making her gasp. "Later, Mrs. Cullen."

Blushing, Bella turned back to the mirror.

_**~0~** _

The service was beautiful, and the atmosphere light. Edward kept his arm around her the whole time, occasionally resting his head against hers. As Emmett and Rosalie took their vows, he squeezed her hand. He didn't need to say the words for her to hear them.

At the reception, as Emmett and Rosalie finished their first dance, Edward stood, holding his hand out to Bella.

"What?" She asked warily, looking up at him. They'd already had this discussion. She couldn't dance.

"They say that everyone must have a dance with Mrs. Cullen today," he explained, his smile teasing and gentle.

"Well, there are a lot of Mrs. Cullens around."

With a chuckle, Edward took her hand, supporting her arm as he helped her to her feet. "Dance with me, Bella."

She sighed, letting him pull her forward. "You wanted to dance the first time too."

"Did I? "

She remembered the way he'd pulled her against his body, his movements clumsy but tender. It had been just as they'd entered his room, when Bella was getting nervous about what her kind hearted, stranger husband might expect from her.

Her heart sped, being so close to him, but he'd only swayed them gently, humming 'Cheek to Cheek'.

"Oh my," Edward looked bashful as they danced now, shaking his head.

"No. It was sweet. You were so unbearably sweet."

"Well, little by little I'm getting all my wedding moments." He smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, this is my first dance with my wife."

"All you're missing now is the ceremony, right?"

He pursed his lips.

"Maybe in the next couple years," she allowed grudgingly.

Edward looked amused. "You're just saying that, knowing Jasper and Alice will probably be next, and we won't be able to step on their toes."

Bella only smiled sweetly.

Dipping his head, Edward nuzzled his nose against her ear. "I hate to tell you, sweetheart, Alice is a huge fan of double weddings."

Bella groaned as they swayed gently.

"Don't worry about me, Bella. Just don't be surprised if I shove a piece of cake in your face later."

"Deal," She agreed, kissing the underside of his chin to seal the promise.

She laid her head on his shoulder, looking at the couples around them. The bride and groom may as well have been alone, the way they were looking in each other's eyes. Around them, their family danced in an unconscious circle. Esme and Carlisle, both looking so happy and proud, Jasper and Alice, smiling because they knew they were next, and completing the circle, Edward and Bella.

It was nice, being part of this chain, part of this family.

That sentiment was echoed a little later when it was time for toasts.

Rosalie surprised everyone by standing after Jasper, Emmett's best man, and Vera, Rosalie's maid of honor, had their say.

"I know it's not customary for the bride to speak at these things, but hey, it's my wedding. Deal with it."

The guests chuckled, and Rosalie grinned.

"So, my first family didn't work out so well." She pressed her lips together a moment, a hard, dark look coming over her face. "A lot of my life didn't work out so well at first." His face fierce for a moment, Emmett reached up, drawing the back of his knuckles along her side. Rosalie brightened, smiling down at him and wrapping her fingers around his. "Then I met this man.

"Honey, what you've given me is so much more than true love, though that would have been enough for anyone. I got involved with you, and before I even realized what was happening, I had a family again.

"There was this mom and dad who were always asking questions." She smirked. "At first, I thought it was annoying. It took me a long while to realize that they were asking questions because they really cared. This is what a real mother and father look like."

Esme was definitely crying, but her grin was so wide.

"In my first family," Rosalie continued, "I was alone. But when Emmett brought me home, suddenly I had two brothers. There was the pain in neck younger brother poking into our business constantly."

Jasper raised his glass, winking at her.

"And the know-it-all older brother you just want to punch sometimes. But you know has his heart in the right place."

Bella squeezed Edward's hand as he rolled his eyes, looking patiently amused.

"And then, they gave me two sisters."

Bella's head snapped up, having not expected that recognition at all. Beside her, Edward raised their joined hands to brush his lips against her knuckles.

"Families aren't always easy, I've come to find out. Sometimes you want to kill each other. Sometimes you regret that you gave these people the power to hurt you. But really, that's the way love is, isn't it? It's the good with the bad, the low times and the highs."

She raised her glass. "So I'd like to make a toast. To my wonderful husband. Thank you for making me part of this family. I promise to love them as well as you love me."

"I'll toast to that," Bella murmured privately to Edward.

He smiled back, clinking his glass against hers before he leaned down to kiss her softly.

_**~0~** _

"Well, there hasn't been any activity that I can track."

Edward nodded, listening intently to Eleazar's latest report.

"I've seen no sign of activity around the house. No one's pulled your phone records or credit card activity."

"And Vegas? What are your thoughts?"

Eleazar rubbed the back of his head. "The security in the Vegas casinos is fairly legendary. He'd have to be crazy to consider trying to pull her out of there. There are so many cameras. It'd take a lot of planning - some Ocean's 11 bullshit.

"My professional opinion? Be as unpredictable as possible - that's always key. Try not to plan too much in advance. Have you told the mother-in-law where you're staying yet?"

"Not yet."

Eleazar nodded. "Stall telling her. But really, that's all just precaution. I think you should be fine."

Edward bounced his leg up and down nervously. "Okay then," he said slowly, his throat tight with worry he tried to set aside. "Enjoy your week off."

_**~0~** _

"Are you comfortable?"

Bella looked up at Edward as he sat beside her, wrapping the large blanket he'd brought around both their shoulders. She snuggled closer to him, cuddling against the December chill. "I'm fine." She rested her head against his chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "This is beautiful, Edward."

He turned his head, kissing the side of her hair.

This was one of the perfect moments in life, he recognized. It had been a good few days. He'd worked while his family had a good time, and he'd spent the evenings experiencing all that Vegas had to offer. The conference had been over for a couple of days and, as Emmett put it, they'd 'done Vegas good and proper'.

But as happy as he was spending time surrounded by the people who loved him most, Edward had insisted they all take the evening off. The family had been amenable. Apparently he wasn't the only one eager to spend some alone time with his wife.

They'd stayed all of the morning and part of the afternoon in their suite living off room service and the taste of each others skin. Only emerging in the late in the afternoon. They indulged in the cheesy romantic Vegas moments: a late lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, a gondola ride at the Venetian.

Edward had done his research. He'd found a spot in the Red Rock Canyon that was easy to get to, even in Bella's condition.

Now they were watching the sun set over the desert with the Las Vegas strip as a backdrop.

"It's breathtaking," he agreed, not looking at the setting sun but down at her.

Warmth nipped at her cheeks, and Bella smiled. "This has been a really good day, Edward. A really good few days actually."

Her features tightened.

"Are you worrying about your mother again?" Renee was scheduled to come in the following evening.

Bella grimaced. "Well, I am now."

"It's going to be fine, Bella. They'll understand." He paused. "So if not that, what were you worrying about?"

"I wasn't worrying. I was thinking about the first time." She turned her face against his chest, breathing him in. "Thank you for doing this, for re-writing all my bad memories."

"Honey, I'm just here on an extended business trip with my wife." He kissed her forehead. "And Vegas is perfect, isn't it? We've walked the streets of Paris today, Venice..."

Bella smiled. "It's a world-tour belated honeymoon."

She gasped a little as the sun dipped and the lights of Vegas began to turn on. The strip looked beautiful from a distance.

"I'm going to take you to all those real places, you know," he promised. "New York is the easiest. Paris, of course. And Rome." He pressed soft, sweet kisses along her jaw line. "You, me, and Riley."

Smiling, Bella entwined their fingers together. It was a beautiful picture of a beautiful life.

_**~0~** _

"Edward," Alice hissed, waving at him from across the way.

They were wandering the Forum Shops - the three of them - while the rest of the family tried their hand at gambling. Bella smiled at Alice's impatient expression. "You may as well go see what she wants. She'll only drag you if you don't."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You're okay here?"

Bella held up the book she'd been studying. "You found one of my weaknesses."

"Well, I'll store that away for later," he said with a wink. He took a step away from her before trepidation made him pause. "You're sure you're okay here?"

"I'm fine." She raised an eyebrow. "Really, Edward. I'm not going to take off without you. You know how much I love shopping," she said sarcastically. "I'm sure you'll be just across the way."

He kissed her cheek as Alice called his name again, this time adding a little stomp. Shaking his head, Edward made his way over to his would-be sister-in-law.

"Look! I was thinking..." she trailed off, peering over at Bella. Sure enough, she was still very involved in the book she'd been staring at for the last ten minutes. Grabbing his hand, Alice drew Edward into one of the other shops. "I was thinking this would look great on Bella," she said excitedly, showing him to a display case.

There was a breathtaking necklace on display there - sapphire. Edward couldn't help but picture what it would look like at her neck.

His smile, as he looked askance at Alice, was rueful. "As much as I'd love to dote on Bella, you'd be surprised how infrequently that goes my way."

"Well, I thought of that. But this isn't so bad. It's not nearly as flashy as other things. Rather delicate, don't you think?" She sighed, staring in at the case. "And that color looks just beautiful on her skin."

"It does. But I've only just convinced her to let me replace our wedding bands. I don't want to push it."

Alice's eyes lit up. "Oh! Oh, good. I couldn't figure out a tactful way to bring it up. Those bands look like you got them at a drive-thru wedding place or something."

Edward winced. It wasn't very far from the truth.

The conversation quickly devolved into a discussion about cuts and brands, Alice offering to help and Edward doing his best to decline.

A little exasperated, Edward looked up, wanting to catch Bella's eye so she might come and back him up. He frowned when he couldn't see her.

His heart faltered in its steady beat, his stomach giving a little twist.

But surely it was fine. There was a large statue between them - a replica of the real thing back in Rome. A few quick strides and he would be in full view of the shop again. He stepped fast away from the store, his eyes on the other side of the mall.

She wasn't there.

Edward whipped his head around, his eyes scanning the shop fronts. He picked up the pace, going into the little shop where she'd been reading.

She wasn't there.

Backing out, he looked around, calling her name.

"Edward?" Alice said, coming up beside him.

"Bella's gone," he muttered, his voice raw with the beginning pinpricks of panic.

"She must have just gone to another store. Here." She took out her phone, beginning to dial, only to hold it away from her ear a moment later, staring at it with furrowed eyebrows. "Oh. Her phone must be off."

Edward's stomach twisted sickeningly.

He ran. He looked in every shop in the area, calling her name.

She wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere.

She'd disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sure she just popped around the corner. Lots of nice shops in that Forum. *nod*
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> Thanks to Barburella and jfka06. My docs are very... colorful.
> 
> Thanks to GinnyW for beta work.
> 
> And thanks to you for still sticking around for my little tale.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh, my lovelies. We all hope Bella is just in the bathroom.

Edward was dangerously close to going out of his mind. It was only his father's calming hand on his shoulder that kept him from strangling a stupid ass police officer.

It had been nearly three hours since Bella had disappeared. Each minute that passed, Edward grew more desperate, and he was having a hell of a time finding anyone who would help him. Three hours was entirely too long. Always good at math, Edward had automatically calculated how far away Alec could have taken her in that amount of time.

California, Arizona, Utah.

Edward rocked back and forth, pressing his fingers hard into his skull to stop himself from screaming. He was trying not to imagine what might be happening to his beautiful - and as of late very pregnant wife - while he went around in circles with the police officers.

Security had been on him within minutes. He supposed the fact he was yelling and running around the Forum Shops like a madman would do that. He'd begged their help, his panic doubling when Alice returned from the nearest bathroom, reporting that Bella wasn't there.

The security team had been impatient with him. He wasn't making a lot of sense, he supposed, and they saw deliriously drunk and belligerent people all the time. All the while, as they attempted to both restrain him and get him the hell out of their casino, Edward knew the clock was ticking. Each minute, she got further away. Each second was another second Alec could be hurting her, hurting Riley.

It was maddening because if he could have made them understand, it was likely the security team could have helped him get her back before Alec had a chance to lay a hand on her, before he even had a chance to get out of the casino. But he couldn't make them listen. There hadn't been a commotion. There hadn't been any screaming. She was just gone from one moment to the next.

They tried to tell him to calm down. His wife had probably just gotten distracted. Vegas was full of distractions. That was the point. She was probably caught up at a slot machine or Blackjack table. He begged them to look. He wanted more than anything to be wrong. If she'd really just gotten distracted she would be in his arms in no time and they would laugh about his paranoia.

But he knew he wasn't wrong; he could feel it in his very bones. She was gone, and she wasn't going to wander back on her own.

He asked them to prove it to him. There had to be a security room with cameras, videos. If she was still in the casino, he could find her with their help.

By the time he caused enough of a scene the police were called, his family had gathered around him. Caesar's Palace had offered up a conference room - anything to get them silenced so people could go back to shopping and otherwise spending their money in peace.

There, in front of all his family, Edward had to tell the whole truth to the police, hoping it helped. Things got loud for a few minutes before the officers asked everyone to leave but Alice, Carlisle, and Edward - Alice and Edward because they were the last ones to see Bella, and Carlisle because he refused to leave Edward's side.

Esme would have stayed, but Edward asked her to pick up Renee, hoping against hope that she might have some insight.

After all, who else would have told Alec where Bella was?

"Mr. Cullen, have you considered the possibility that your wife wanted to leave with that man?"

His throat was tight with rage he struggled to keep in check. "You've seen the video-"

"Yes, exactly," the other officer interrupted. "There's nothing in that video that suggests she's under any duress at all."

Of course there wasn't. They didn't know her as well as he did. To Edward, it was obvious how tense she was. Her shoulders were too squared, her hands clenched in fists as she braced herself against the shelf. In the video - the one concession the cops made to get him to shut up - Alec had come up behind her and must have spoken as she jumped. She stayed facing forward without looking at him - something Edward tried to tell them was unnatural. Bella was a very attentive listener and always turned to the person speaking, no matter what she'd been doing before. She stayed still for about a minute before she turned slowly and walked away with him. His hand was gripped at her arm, not in the way a lover's would be, but the way a cop led a criminal - controlling.

Worst was the fear he saw in her eyes for the brief second the camera caught her face before she walked out of frame. Her expression was impassive, but her eyes darted around. If he wasn't mistaken, and Edward was very good with angles, the first place she looked when she turned around was over in the direction he would have been.

Why hadn't he looked?

Why had he left her side at all?

"Something else is going on here," Edward said for what had to be the millionth time. "She wouldn't have left with him. Never. He had to have told her something to make her leave, and he's going to hurt her."

"What do you base that assumption on?"

"He took advantage of her when she was vulnerable. He threatened her and locked her in a closet for hours. You don't realize how crazy he acted, assuming Bella was his. The way he talked-"

"And this was something you witnessed yourself?" The officer raised an eyebrow knowing full well Edward had already told him he'd never met Alec face to face before.

"Of course not," he growled, aggravated.

"So you only know what your wife told you."

"There was no reason for her to lie to me."

"Some people don't need a reason," the cop said with a small shrug.

Edward's cheek twitched with rage. He told himself again that he just needed to make them see. The police had resources he didn't - it was as simple as that. He needed their cooperation. "You're suggesting an otherwise rational woman would suddenly abandon her life on a whim? She was scared enough that she ran here in the first place months ago. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"There's no record-"

"There is a record of James Hunter's attack on her in Chicago."

"But as we've discussed, you failed to identify James Hunter as her attacker."

Edward was silent.

"Why was that, Mr. Cullen? If your wife knew who her attacker was, why would you not want him caught?"

"Is it your habit to treat a victim's family so cruelly?" It was Carlisle who spoke then, his voice furious.

The officer's eyes flicked to his. "Our habit - or our jobs, as we prefer to call them - includes establishing whether or not anyone was truly victimized." He looked back to Edward. "Tell me, Mr. Cullen, was it your idea or your wife's to not divulge Mr. Hunter's identity to the Chicago PD?"

"Would it really matter if she had reported Hunter? It wasn't him who took her," he said rather than answer straight.

"To be frank, Mr. Cullen, we can't waste the time and resources of the department on a girl who, by your own admission, has lied to the police before and who has a recent history of erratic behavior. There might be something strange going on here, but there's nothing that points to the fact she's been kidnapped."

"We lied to the police in Chicago because there was no way to prove it was Alec behind the attack."

"That was something for the police to investigate."

"So they could make the same accusations against Bella that you are? That she's just an erratic child telling lies for attention?" Edward challenged, his tone bitter. "It was a chance - we both knew that. She would do anything to protect her daughter from that man. There's no way in hell she would simply walk away with him."

When Esme arrived with Renee in tow, things only got worse.

Renee was tearful. She admitted to getting into a screaming match with Alec several days before.

"It was the first time I'd talked to Alec since Bella told me the truth," the woman said, sniffling. "He came around wanting to know if I'd heard from her. I told him he needed to leave her alone. Maybe I thought he would be good for her once, but for chrissakes, she's married with a baby on the way. I told him it was time to throw in the towel.

"He got so... belligerent. He started yelling at me, telling me I was a horrible mother, letting her fall into drugs after her father died."

"She was doing drugs?" one of the officers asked.

"No!" Edward answered for her, insulted on Bella's behalf.

"Would you have any reason, any reason at all to suspect she was doing drugs?" the officer asked, staring right at Renee and ignoring Edward completely.

Renee stumbled over her answer. "I don't know that Bella and I have been on the same wavelength lately. Even if she did, who cares? Let's be honest. We've all needed to take the edge off, right? Who am I to judge?"

Edward tried not to growl.

"But anyway, he insisted that her husband," she glanced nervously at Edward, "was keeping her strung out and high. I told him I thought it was unlikely considering he was bringing me to Vegas, and to the Bellagio besides! I looked up what a suite costs."

"How did you know where we were staying?" Edward asked, beyond frustrated. He'd taken the precaution Eleazar suggested and hadn't told Renee, in their limited conversations, what casino they were staying at, planning to tell her only when she was already safely in Vegas.

The woman smiled sadly. "Bella said you had a perfect view of the fountain. I figured it out."

Edward scrubbed his hand over his eyes.

The police asked Renee a series of questions that made him increasingly infuriated. They asked about Bella's behavior since Charlie's death. It didn't sound good, especially when Renee made a comment that made it obvious Bella had let her believe she was less pregnant than she was, that Edward was the baby's biological father.

It was exactly what Bella had feared. They were painting a picture of her as increasingly irrational and unpredictable. She took off out of nowhere. She called Jacob, leaving cryptic messages that she was okay rather than call her mother. She'd run off to Vegas and married a total stranger, a very rich total stranger. And now this... disappearing without a word when the video showed Alec had barely touched her.

"Look," Edward said, slamming his hand down on the table, unable to hold back his fury any longer. "Enough of this. My wife and daughter are in danger, and you're asking asinine questions. If I'm wrong, I'm more than happy to pay a fine for wasting your time, but I'm not wrong. You already know who took her, and this city has a million cameras. Please." He leaned forward, his eyes pleading now. "Help me."

The officers looked at him steadily. "Frankly, this seems like a case of a flighty young person who had no business getting married before she was mature enough to do so," the rude one said gruffly. "She'll be back when she's got it out of her system."

Edward stood, taking a threatening step toward the officer before Carlisle's grip on his arm tightened.

The second officer's expression was cool. "Either way, Mr. Cullen, without any signs of distress, we can't consider this a missing persons case for another 24 hours. Just relax. I'm sure your wife will be back in her own good time. It might serve you best to go back to your room at the Bellagio and wait there."

Edward's nostrils flared. His hands were fists at his side, his body rigid with the effort of not leaping at the men. "If something happens to either of them, believe me, I'm holding you personally responsible," he snarled before he whirled, storming out the door.

He only got a short way down the hallway before he had to stop, overcome with panic. All his breath left him in a great whoosh and he bent at the waist, his hands on his knees as his body was wracked with horrible shakes.

"Edward?"

He hadn't heard the rush of feet but he was suddenly surrounded by his family. Someone was patting his back, and he could see several pairs of feet even as his vision wavered.

"What happened?" Emmett asked.

"They won't help." His voice was raw. "They think she ran off on purpose."

"Are you sure she didn't?" Rosalie asked.

Edward wasn't the only one who turned on her, but Emmett surprised them all by shouting at her. "Rose! How could you say that?"

She held her hands up, palms out. "I'm sorry. It's just... It's a lot. It's a lot you've lied to us about for months on end."

"Now isn't the time for this discussion," Esme interrupted, her expression leaving no room for argument.

"Excuse me," said a soft voice.

Turning, Edward saw Renee approaching them uncertainly. She looked so much like Bella it broke his heart, and he ached, positively ached to have his wife in his arms again. He sucked in a breath, trying to breathe past the pain, trying to put walls around his anger toward his mother-in-law for letting Alec know - however inadvertently - where Bella was.

She'd given him the edge Edward had counted on him not having - a few days advance notice to plan.

Then again, if Bella hadn't told her...

Edward shook his head sharply, willing away those kinds of thoughts. They were useless. "Renee," he said as gently as possible, reaching his hand out to the woman. "I'm so sorry we have to meet under these circumstances."

She surprised him by pulling into a tight hug. "No, I'm sorry. I know I was bumbling like an idiot, but those cops made me so nervous. It's just... I can't imagine my Charlie every acting like that with a family."

Alice was shaking her head. "They made up their minds what was going here from minute one," she said disgustedly.

Renee seemed to shrink back, her face pinched. "I can't believe this is happening," she said in a small voice. "Alec has always been such a sweet young man." She looked up at Edward with huge eyes - the same shape of Bella's eyes, though hers were a different color. "Do you really think he'd hurt her?"

"You said you believed her story," Edward returned, his voice harsh.

"Of course I do! Maybe I liked Alec, but Bella is my daughter. I know she wouldn't lie about something like that." Wrapping her arms around herself, she rocked a bit. "I did think maybe she was exaggerating - that maybe Alec scared her by yelling at her or something. She said he was delusional, but to the point he would hurt her?"

Her face crumpled. Esme stepped forward, taking the other woman in her arms, a mother comforting a mother.

"It would probably be best not to assume," Carlisle said to all of them.

"What do we do now?" Emmett asked. He looked like Edward felt - poised for action, like an arrow just waiting to know what direction to fly.

Edward ran his hands through his hair, trying to think ahead of the rising, entirely overwhelming terror in him. They could be anywhere. Anywhere. How was he supposed to help her with absolutely no resources available to him?

What could they do?

Edward called Eleazar, begging his help. He had to have contacts, someone who could check Alec's recent credit card activity... anything that would give them some clue where to start.

Renee called Alec's parents trying to find out if they'd heard from him recently. The couple said he'd missed a visit with them for the first time the day before. He'd left a message he had to be out of town for an emergency and he would call them as soon as he got back.

They weren't worried. Alec was a good boy.

As the sun faded from the sky, Edward retreated to the suite's huge bathroom, sitting on the edge of the giant tub where he'd relaxed with Bella only days before. And now she was gone.

He could hardly breathe.

He was so lost in the agony of his helplessness he didn't hear his mother come in until she sat beside him, her hand on his back.

"What if they're right?" he asked in a voice so twisted by his anxiety, the tone was absolutely foreign even to his own ears.

"Who? About what?" Esme asked gently.

"What if it was a lie? Everything she told me. What if she really did run off with him?"

His mother's hand froze on his back, and Edward continued on in a ramble.

"Is it so different from what Renee believed? What Charlie believed? What even Bella believed before he hurt her? Alec lied to their faces for years. Pretended to be someone he wasn't. How could I know this wasn't all some game or if Alec was right about her toying with his emotions? What if all this time he's just been a concerned friend who fell for her, and she manipulated him like she manipulated me?"

Esme was silent for another long moment before she spoke, her voice careful. "Does any part of you honestly believe that?"

Edward's shoulders slumped and he fell forward, his arms on his knees. "No." The word came out raw and filled with pain. "But if it was true, it would mean she's okay. I just want her to be okay, Mom."

His breaths were coming so quick by that point, he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Esme shushed him, trying to soothe his worries, trying to help hold him together when he was so close to falling to pieces.

It wasn't long before the bathroom became very crowded. Then, it was his whole family there for him again. His parents sat on either side of him, his brothers crouched in front of him. Alice and Rosalie hovered in the doorway.

The irony didn't escape Edward that the first time he'd let his family, his whole family, be there for him, he wanted none of them. The only person he wanted in that moment was Bella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Poor boy.
> 
> Yes, before you can ask, we will see Bella next chapter.
> 
> Thanks so much to Barburella and GinnyW for all their help. Much love and big puffy hearts.
> 
> And thanks so much to all of you for your kind words. I'm so glad you're with me on this little tale of mine. Thanks to those of you who voted for me in the Lemonade Stand's fic of the week. I was tickled pink, as they say.
> 
> Trying to update again with Bella by Saturday. Big puffy hearts to all of you.


	26. In Too Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter? Probably not the easiest. Tread carefully, my friends. I promise you, I have no intention of drawing this out.

Alec had given her no choice.

Repeatedly, Bella cursed herself for being so lost in her own little world that she didn't notice when he came up behind her. Books had long been a particular joy of hers. After Charlie died, she'd lost her concentration, lost her ability to get completely enraptured in crisp paper pages. How odd that it would be a random novel at a random display in one of the Forum Shops that grabbed her interest and wouldn't let go.

So she hadn't noticed when a figure stepped up behind her, menacingly close.

She didn't notice until he spoke, his voice quiet but malicious, telling her not to move until he said so or make any noise, or he'd blow her precious husband's brain out before anyone could stop him.

Surreptitiously, he'd shown her his phone. There was a text message ready to be sent to James whom he said was in a safe spot, pointing a gun at Edward's head.

No one else had to get hurt if she just walked away calmly with him.

What choice did she have?

As they walked away, Bella tried to grab anyone's eyes, alert someone to her distress, but they were all so wrapped up in their individual worlds. Every step took her further and further away from Edward, toward a doubtlessly terrifying unknown.

She'd looked for him, desperate to catch his glance or at least see him - know for sure he was fine - but there was that stupid statue in the way. She saw only the top tufts of his tousled bronze hair, his head bent down toward Alice, before Alec yanked her insistently forward.

When they were joined by a second figure - James - Bella fully intended to scream, knowing her husband was safe from the madman's gun, but Alec was quicker. He slipped his grip from her arm to her waist, pulling her tight against him.

She felt what could only be the hard metal of a gun pressed against her side, hidden from plain view by the jacket he was wearing, but unmistakable to her.

Bella hadn't known what it meant for blood to run cold until that very moment.

"Go ahead and scream," Alec had snarled against her ear. "I'm so through with your bullshit, believe me. You don't want to fuck with me right now."

She didn't. Not with a gun aimed right at her baby.

By the time they got to the parking structure, her cheeks were streaked with hot tears of complete terror and frustration.

No one looked up. Or rather, one woman had, but on seeing Bella's tears had quickly looked away.

It was strange how time seemed to bend then, both going too quickly for her to process and dragging on in anxious trepidation of what was going to happen next. When she was alone with them in the elevator, it began to sink in how well and truly in trouble she was. Nothing was going to stop this from happening. No one was coming to help her.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked in a hoarse whisper when Alec wrenched her arms behind her back, closing a pair of handcuffs unnecessarily tight around her wrists.

"Where are you taking me?"

They ignored her questions, and Bella fell silent before frustration could get the better of her. She was desperately aware she needed not to push them, not to make them angry. The whole situation might be different if it weren't for Riley.

She was going to protect her daughter at all costs.

Now she was stuck, again, where it all started - in a cramped little closet. She concentrated on keeping her breathing steady and her mind clear. Panicking wouldn't help; she needed to be able to think on the fly if she was going to get out of this.

Resting her head against the wall, Bella tried her best not to tug at her bindings as she tried to figure her options. Already, the cold steel of the handcuffs had chafed her skin. Her shoulders were sore from the awkward position.

Needing more information, to know what was going on outside this cramped room, she pressed her ear to the door. They were talking, but she couldn't hear the distinct words - just the tone.

James's wry mocking.

Alec's answering tone was low. Steady.

Dangerous.

Bella shuddered.

Her heart began to speed again when the voices got closer. Her body tensed.

"I'm done, you understand? Whatever fucked up thing you got going for this bitch, I want no more part of it. I'm square with Jane. Get it? I'm done risking getting my ass thrown back in jail. And for what?" he scoffed. "You're bending over backward for an ugly little whore, and I'll never understand that shit."

"She's mine," Alec growled, sending a shiver of pure terror down Bella's back. Immediately, she broke out in a cold sweat, her body trembling. "She'll learn."

He was crazy.

He was utterly out of his mind.

Bella was getting a bit dizzy, trying to steady her breathing.

"Whatever," James muttered. "Good luck with that, I guess. I hope for your sake she's a good fuck, otherwise I don't get the point. I'd have kicked her to the curb ages ago."

A door opened and shut. The house was quiet. Bella pressed her lips together into a thin, hard line, trying to stop her tears before they started again.

She knew she was out of time.

Sure enough, after an unbearably long moment of silence, she could hear Alec's measured steps coming closer. One. Two. Three. Four. He paused right outside the closet, and Bella could hardly breathe.

The door came open. Bella's body stiffened, waiting for the inevitable moment when he grabbed her again.

When it didn't come right away, she chanced a look up, her heart hammering painfully against her ribcage. Her throat was so tight that the tiny whimper that passed her lips when she saw him towering over her - his eyes cold and hard - was no more than a breath of noise.

He glared down, and she had to speak. Not only because there were a thousand things going through her mind, but because she knew, above all, she couldn't make him angrier than he obviously already was. The way he stared down, she wasn't entirely sure her silence was helping.

She had to swallow several times before she could find her voice.

"Alec," she whispered. "I-" She cried out when he grabbed her roughly by the chin, jerking her head up so she couldn't avoid his gaze.

For seconds there was only the sound of his heavy breaths and the frightened whimpers she struggled to strangle. He was breathing through his nose, and Bella was beyond terrified by the malice in his eyes.

"Believe me, I am not in the mood to hear your bullshit." His angry words did not match his placid, even tone.

Completely unnerved, Bella pressed the tip of her tongue to the roof of her mouth, struggling to comply with his roundabout order for silence. Fear and fury made for disquieting bedfellows, and she wanted to speak, wanted to yell, snap, or even babble. But he was watching her, waiting for her disobedience.

But rather than smirk at his control over her, his eyes narrowed and hardened. He switched his grip to her arm, hauling her up to her feet. Bella stumbled out of the closet. Her body was unbalanced, and she would have pitched forward except that Alec grabbed her other arm. She remained upright, wincing at the way his fingers dug into her skin.

He pressed her back against the wall. When he released the grip on her arms she gasped, feeling the blood rush back to her limbs, throbbing painfully where his fingers had gripped her so tight.

Bella struggled to calm her speeding heart, breathing in and out slowly, though her chest felt painfully tight. Alec's glare was intimidating, and as he stepped forward, she found herself cringing, as if she were trying to melt into the wall. Her bound hands dug into her back.

"For years, I've been more than patient with you. The shit I put up with, no self respecting man should have to tolerate. I let you play your coy little games, let you prance around like the fucking cocktease you are, even let you mess around with that pathetic little blond boy to get it out of your system. I never said a word to you, Bella. Not a single word."

His breath was hot on her face as he spoke. Bella's body was coiled tight, the urge to run nearly unbearable. Because she couldn't run, what she wanted most was to turn her face away, but somehow, she couldn't look away from his piercing eyes.

A deer caught in headlights. The truck was coming and she had nowhere to go.

"You were the one that started this. You were the one who wanted me first, and then you ran away like the immature little brat you are. I used to think all you needed was to grow up a bit. You were just a stupid little kid, but now? I think I was wrong." His voice had gained a dangerous edge. It was a fire clicking on at the center of Bella's lungs, rapidly burning off all the oxygen, leaving her starving for air. "I can't help but think maybe James was right all along."

Bella was so focused on his eyes, she didn't see him raise his right hand until he'd brought it down hard against her cheek. Her head snapped to the side. The pain that bloomed made her gasp, pulling air into her lungs again.

"Does this work a little better?" Alec demanded through gritted teeth. He hit her again, the sound of his hand against her skin loud in her ears. "Is this the only way to keep you in line?" He punctuated his sentence with a third slap. "Am I getting through to you?"

Her hands jerked against the metal of the handcuffs, the instinct to cover her face too strong to overcome. "Stop! Please, stop. You're going to hurt the baby."

He pulled back, his eyes narrowing to slits. Quick as a flash, he switched his grip, his hand going to her stomach and squeezing. "This? This is disgusting. I don't know how you can even look me in the eye when you're carrying this fucking monstrosity, this proof you let him inside you. You're a fucking filthy whore, you know that?"

"Don't touch me!" His movement against the baby, the way he held her now, pushed her fear straight into complete fury. His words and his actions made her livid, and any ability she had to think clearly went straight out the window. Acting on instinct and anger alone, she barreled into him with her shoulder, shoving him away hard. "You fucking lunatic! I'm not yours. I chose him. I love him. I fucking  _hate_ you!"

She regretted her words instantly, watching in horror as his face twisted. Before she could even open her mouth to apologize, try to salvage the situation and calm him down, he slapped her with the back of his hand hard enough that her head snapped to the side. Dizzy, Bella stumbled backward, sliding down the wall when her legs proved too wobbling to hold her.

"I'm sorry," she lied, turning her body to the side, bringing her legs up since she couldn't use her arms to protect her baby from whatever was coming.

And she knew something was coming. She knew it was going to be bad.

When she found the courage to look up, she instantly wished she hadn't. Alec was standing over her, his belt doubled over and held in his fisted hand. "I didn't mean it," she tried, but there was no volume at all to her voice. "Please, just let me-"

But she cut off when he raised his hand.

_**~0~** _

Alec was absolutely and completely delusional.

He'd beaten her with that fucking belt, screaming and snarling the whole time about her every transgression against him.

In a warped way, Bella thought she understood. Alec had gotten it into his head somewhere along the way that they were in a relationship. Bella had seen the behavior he was accusing her of before - girls and women, and men for that matter, who constantly played games, flying off the handle, playing hard to get when it pleased them. He'd built up this whole relationship where she pushed him away only to reel him back in, and Bella felt so stupid.

If only she hadn't tried to be his friend. What she meant as friendship - hanging out with him even though she was uncomfortable with his advances - he'd twisted into something much more than it was.

When his anger was spent, he'd knelt by her side, his voice returned to that pleasant, comforting tone he used with everyone. "Shh, shh," he'd soothed, ignoring the way she flinched away from his touch. He cupped her cheeks gently and wiped at her tears.

His tender touches had made her stomach twist sickeningly. She was still sobbing from the pain and so afraid for her baby. She couldn't seem to stop.

"Really, this isn't your fault," he said quietly, pulling her upright so he could hold her close. He didn't seem to notice the way she shuddered in complete revulsion. "Your dad was just too easy on you. He let you get away with anything. Your mom, too. She should have noticed when you started to go so wrong. If she was any kind of mother at all, she would have noticed. And I'm sure that fucking rich prick didn't help matters any. I can't imagine all the lies he told you."

He tilted her face up, but still, Bella refused to look at him.

"I know it probably doesn't feel like it now, but this is for your own good." He ran his fingers gently down her battered cheeks, making her wince. "You're going to learn. We're going to get rid of that  _thing_ ," he spat the word, "and then we're going to start over." He kissed her forehead. Bella had to struggle not to vomit. "We're gonna get through this, because I love you."

What she wanted most was to snarl at him that he had no real concept of love. She knew what love felt like, and it wasn't this. It most certainly wasn't this. But she held her tongue, closing her eyes and letting herself drift back to her safe and happy place where it was Edward's arms around her.

After that, Alec had locked her not in the closet, but in a tiny bathroom. There was some small mercy in the fact he'd released her from the handcuffs and left her alone to 'think about what we talked about'.

Crazy asshole.

For a long time, Bella lay right where he left her - curled on the dingy tile floor. It was a long time before she stopped crying and shaking. How pathetic she felt, wrapped up in a ball with her arms around her stomach just sniveling. But she was overwhelmed. Alec was crazy and in her condition, she couldn't hope to run. What other option was left?

The baby moving inside her gave Bella a tremendous measure of relief. Riley's kicks were strong as ever - a blessing considering what Bella had already gone through. She was sure the stress of the situation could not be good for the innocent life she carried.

"I'm going to get you out of this," she whispered, running her hands lovingly over her bump. She remembered Alec's words… fear running cold through her blood. How did he intend to 'get rid' of her daughter?

But Riley was still safe inside her, and Bella fully intended on keeping her that way.

Slowly, she unwound herself from the tight ball she'd been huddled in. She groaned as she moved. There wasn't a lot of her that didn't ache terribly. Without a doubt, she was covered in bruises and welts. Her lip was split , and her wrists were bloodied from where she'd struggled against her bonds.

Bracing herself with her hands on the counter, Bella stood on trembling legs, looking into the mirror. The reflection that stared back at her was jarring, making her feel sick.

Good God, she was a total mess. Her face was swollen, turning shades of purple and red. She looked like a victim.

She had to get away from him. But how?

First thing was first. She concentrated on getting cleaned up a little, wiping away the blood on her lip and wrists, and drank as much as she could from the faucet.

Then, she forced herself to bite back the urge to panic. Riley's occasional flutter in her belly made this task a little easier. Her daughter's presence always brought on a fierce protectiveness. Bella held on to that emotion, riding it until it consumed her, turning fright into determination.

Exploring the little bathroom proved frustrating. There was so little to work with here. Alec wasn't an idiot. He'd left only a single bar of soap, a roll of toilet paper, and a small towel for her use.

Bella first considered trying to pry the bar off the towel rack, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was too light to do much damage even if she could get a good swing in. She ran her hands along the empty drawers and shelves, looking to see if she could find a loose piece of wood, toying with the idea she could fashion some sort of stake. Surely a stake through the heart would kill more than just vampires. But then, she doubted it was as easy to stab someone in the heart as the movies made it look.

"This is stupid," she groaned quietly to herself.

Realistically speaking, it wasn't likely she was going to be able to overpower him physically.

Another plan, a very uncomfortable plan, began to occur to her.

After all, she'd gotten away from him once before. But surely if she tried the same thing now, it wouldn't be as easy. She would have to be very, very convincing.

Closing her eyes, Bella swallowed hard, fighting a wave of nausea. She felt light headed at the idea that was forming. She leaned with one hand against the counter and another splayed over her belly.

She breathed in and out slowly.

For Riley, she would do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Breathe folks. Again - I'm doing my best not to draw this out. You're getting pretty consistent updates right? Yeah? More of that until we're out of this. I promise.
> 
> Much thanks to barburella and GinnyW. Don't know what I'd do without you girls.


	27. Roller Coaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ooooh boy. Okay. Deep breaths, babes. Here we go. OH. Thank you for not killing me!

Bella gave herself the night to think through her choices.

She thought of breaking the mirror - but he would doubtlessly hear that and be prepared when he opened the door.

The only reasonable weapon she had at her disposal was the back cover of the toilet, but in the little bathroom, the way the door opened, she wouldn't have much room to swing. Even if she did manage to connect, here was no guarantee he would fall, and he would be in the doorway. What was she going to do? Leap over him? Around him?

Nothing she thought of ended well.

She spent the night curled on the bathroom floor, shivering as she tried to get a little sleep. Whatever the day would bring, she would need her rest.

In her dreams, when she woke, it was to soft kisses to her cheek and gentle fingers stroking her neck. She was warm and happy, safe in Edward's arms. He loved her, and they would have a beautiful life together with a daughter they both cherished.

It made it all the harder to wake to the chill of the morning on the cold floor of a little bathroom. Her body ached terribly, not just from the beating she'd endured the day before, but from being huddled in on herself.

The reflection in the mirror looked worse. The bruises along her skin were a darker shade of purple, her hair was an utter wreck, and she looked like she hadn't slept in a week.

She debated on whether it was best to make herself look as pretty as possible under the circumstances, and quickly felt ill.

For Riley, she thought, breathing in and out slowly. To get back to Edward.

Blowing out a slow breath, Bella rinsed her mouth out, wishing for toothpaste. At least he'd given her a little dinner, a simple sandwich. Looking up in the mirror, she settled for running her fingers through her hair, undoing the worst of the snarls.

Holding her hands in fists at her side, Bella pounded on the door, calling Alec's name. She was pleased when her voice didn't waver.

When he pushed open the door, Alec had his gun trained on her. He stared at her steadily. "What do you want?"

Unnerved by the gun pointed straight at her head, Bella had to search for her voice. "C-can you put the g-g-gun down?" she stuttered, already shaking. "You're scaring me."

He snorted lightly. "You think I trust you? Show me your hands."

She held her shaking hands out palm up.

Alec looked at her suspiciously but lowered the weapon. "So what do you want?"

"I just want to talk." Bella ducked her head, hoping she looked and sounded contrite. "You were right about so many things."

"Right." He chuffed, but he lowered the gun, letting it dangle at his side while he reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her from the bathroom. Everything in Bella had to fight not to wrench her arm away from his touch.

As he passed a little hall table, Alec set the gun down, before he propelled her just a short distance away to the kitchen. There, he pushed Bella back against the wall, caging her in, leaning over her. If he was trying to intimidate her, it was working.

"I'm warning you," he began, his voice low and threatening. "You try something. Anything. You're going to regret it. The doors to this lovely little rental have tricky locks, and I will catch you before your stupid, fat ass can get very far. If I catch you, it will be very bad for you. Understand?"

Bella could only nod.

He backed off then, but only by an inch or so. Swallowing sporadically, Bella forced herself to continue with her plan. "Do you have some groceries? I can cook you breakfast. Anything you want."

Again, he snorted. "Right, because I'm going to give you a hot pan. Anyway, like I said, this is a rental. No fridge." He made a face. "Renee didn't give me a lot of advance notice. Didn't have much time to find a place with all the amenities. Sorry, Princess. You'll just have to make do.

"I'll go get something later. But you said you wanted to talk. So are you going to talk or what?" he demanded.

Bella knew she was out of time and out of options. Mentally steeling herself, she slowly reached up, looking down so she wouldn't have to see him as she cupped his face in her hands. "I just need you to know how very sorry I am." She hoped with everything in her that she sounded sincere. "I know what I put you through, and it was wrong of me."

His eyes were hard as he studied her. Quick as a flash, his hand came up, and he gripped a handful of her hair tight. Bella gasped as he yanked her head back slightly. "After last time, you think I'm going to believe anything you say?" he growled.

"I know," she said hurriedly, pressing her palms flat against the wall to try to keep her fight or flight reflex from dictating her actions. She had to keep her panic at bay. "I know, I don't deserve your trust. Baby -" how foul that endearment tasted in her mouth, "- I'm so sorry. I-I-I know I acted like such a brat. I don't know why I treated you like that."

Again, his eyes searched hers. His grip on her hair relaxed, though he didn't let her go. "I swear to God, Bella, if you're playing some game with me..."

"No game." She swallowed down bile as she surreptitiously wiped her palms on her pants before she slowly reached up, cupping his neck, stroking with her fingers. "I'm just young, baby, that's all. You were so right to do what you did last night. I deserved it."

He pressed forward, his body swallowing some of the space between them. "You betrayed me." His words were a snarl.

"I know. I regretted it. B-but I was scared of him. I married him because I was mad at you." She went on in a rush. "It was so stupid and immature. I just didn't think about it. And then I was scared. He's powerful, Alec. You don't know how much power he has. He kept such a close eye on me."

Now, Alec did growl, the sound predatory. "You were stupid, Bella. You're such a fucking idiot. I wanted to take care of you." His fist tightened in her hair. "Why couldn't you just accept you're mine?"

Her eyes were watering both because of the pain in her scalp and her complete terror. Her voice was shaky when she spoke again. "I'm so sorry." Closing her eyes, she pushed up on her tiptoes a bit and began pressing tiny kisses against his jaw, whispering how sorry she was with each one.

Alec was breathing hard through his nose, like he was on the verge of rage.

All at once he struck, closing the little bit of space left between them. He kissed her roughly, his hands holding her face in a grip that was anything but tender. It was feral and possessive - dominating.

Though it hurt so much - her face so battered from his slaps the night before - Bella bit back a whimper of pain. She forced herself to kiss him back, let her mouth open when his lips demanded it. She kept her eyes screwed tightly shut so she wouldn't have to see him, and thought of Riley, of Edward, to keep her body from revoluting.

Alec broke the kiss, switching his grip back to her hair so he could pull her hair back. "You're mine," he said into her ear, the words loud and raw.

"Yours," Bella echoed. She was trembling hard, but he didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care.

His lips went to her neck then and he sucked. Hard. His teeth cut into her skin. Bella couldn't help the squeal of a scream that escaped her lips.

He was marking her.

Again, Alec growled, abruptly stepping a few pace back. His fingers curled around her shoulder in a punishing hold, his other hand going to her belly. He shuddered as if revolted, returning his other hand to her shoulder. "It's disgusting to feel this against me, you know that? When this thing is out of you, we're going to leave it by the side of a road and get the hell out of here." He shouted the last word.

"Alec," she tried to start, her voice frantic, but then gasped as he whirled her around, shoving her a few steps forward all the way into the kitchen. His hand on her back, he forced her face first to bend over the counter.

His hands were at her waist then, his body leaned over hers. He swept her hair off one shoulder, tugging on her shirt. Bella cried out, the sound clipped and short with her panicked breaths, as the fabric tore a little. Her voice was strangled in her throat.

"You're mine," he said again before he attacked her shoulder with his teeth. His hands were roaming up her sides, cupping her breasts roughly as he bit down against her skin savagely.

She needed to stop this. She needed to get away from him before he could take her like this. She could tell he had no intention of being slow or gentle. This needed to stop. But how, without making him angrier?

"Alec," she pleaded breathlessly. "Please. You're being too rough. Honey, please. Please listen to me." She tried to push back.

He was quick to pin her head down on the cold countertop. "This isn't about you. You have a lot to make up for. A lot."

"You're going to hurt the baby," she yelled, frantic now.

His movements froze for a heartbeat before his fingers on her head and cupped right under her breast, began to dig into her skin.

Before she could cry out again, his weight was off her. He spun her around, getting right in her face. "What the fuck do you think I care about that, huh? Are you under some delusion I'm going to let you keep that thing? Some other prick's kid? Well you can fucking forget it, Bella. You're lucky I don't rip the thing out of you right now."

"It's not his," she said, though it was the last thing she wanted to admit. She hated, hated, that her sweet, innocent baby had anything to do with the maniac in front of her. "It's yours, Alec. Your baby. I'm 33 weeks. Do the math. That's when you and I were together. I didn't even know him. " She knew she was babbling, but she was frantic to make him understand.

One look in his eyes, and Bella knew she'd made a wrong move. His glare was so utterly livid, it was enough to stop her heart for a beat and send chills through her bloodstream. She was shaking, intimidated and frightened almost out of her wits. "I-I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know, and I didn't think-"

"You. Fucking. Bitch." His words rose in volume until the last one was a roar. "You completely. Fucked up. Whore."

He gripped the front of her shirt, pulling her up against him, shaking her so hard it felt like her brain was slamming against her skull. "How fucking dare you do this to me? My kid? And you let him inside you while you were carrying my kid? You fucking tainted him! You disgusting slut!"

He threw her away from him then. Bella went flying backward, striking her side hard against the edge of the wall.

She hardly felt it. Adrenaline raced through her when she realized she was free and she had one chance, exactly one chance to save her life, to save Riley's life. Alec was out of control and insane. He was going to end up killing one of them.

Bella wasn't about to let it happen.

She'd hardly hit the floor before she skittered back to her feet, stumbling blindly forward with one goal in mind. She ran for the hallway, not too many steps away, and the end table where Alex had left his gun.

Charlie taught her how to shoot on her thirteenth birthday. She hadn't held a gun since then, but some part of her must have remembered how to shoot because she knew how to cock the gun.

And she knew how to pull the trigger.

**_~0~_ **

Edward had never truly understood the idea of being at the end of a rapidly fraying rope until that particular moment in his life. He saw it now, how his sanity was made up of pieces of string, wound together into a thick braid of rope. Throughout the night, he could feel each individual strand slowly unwind, get pulled taut, and finally tear away, taking a strip of his soul with him.

When Eleazar explained he had no useful contacts that could help him immediately, a string snapped.

When he called the phone company to activate her GPS only to be told if the phone was off, it wouldn't work - and it didn't - several strands came apart.

The private investigator in Forks drew the line at breaking into a police officer's home, so no one was searching Alec's place for clues. More strings unravelled.

Slowly, so achingly slowly, the blackest part of night had lightened into morning.

Between phone calls to anyone and everyone who might be able to help, when he wasn't trying to get the contact information of employees at the shops - anyone who might have seen her - Edward's worst fears crept to the surface. He imagined all the ways Alec might be hurting Bella while he was trapped helpless, constantly returning to the suite they'd shared, because what if she came back?

As had become his habit, he checked his phone, staring at the strength of the signal. He freaked out each and every time it dropped, fearing that he might miss a call, a text... anything that would let him know she was alive and well.

With the worry and his imagination playing out what she might be going through, Edward felt his sanity hanging by a single, sad looking thread.

"Sweetheart, you should sleep," his mother urged, her hand soft on his back.

"No." The word was a growl. If he'd had any room to feel anything but complete terror for his wife, he would be ashamed at himself for speaking to his mother that way. As it was, though, he was entirely consumed. "In three more hours, I'm going to the police station." In three and a half more hours, Bella would have been missing for an entire day.

Esme pursed her lips and looked about ready to argue - gently - when the ring tone of his cell phone startled them both. He'd turned the volume all the way up, just in case, and the noise was frighteningly loud, especially in the relative quiet of the room.

Edward glanced at the thing, his eyebrows furrowing as he registered a completely unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" he answered uncertainly. His eyes went wide as he heard too-quick breaths on the other end of the line. "Bella?" he cried frantically.

"E... E," she gasped. It sounded like she was hyperventilating.

"Oh, God. Sweetheart, listen to me. Listen. You have to breathe, okay? Listen to me."

He found he was shaking so hard that when he rose to his feet, he automatically sunk down to the floor, his knees too weak to hold him. He was shaking with relief but reeling in fear because my God. In all the times she'd woken panicked, she'd never gasped for breath like this. Was she asphyxiating?

She made a strained sounding noise - a whine of exertion and fear - but he thought her breaths seemed to be slightly slower.

"That's it, baby. Just listen to me breathe. Try to match it."

He was vaguely aware that his family was gathered around him again. He could see their feet, feel his mother's hand on his back. If he concentrated, he thought he might be able to hear what they were saying - likely asking him what was going on. The only real thing in the world was the woman on the other end of the phone line. He needed to get to her, but he needed her to calm down first.

Her safety was everything to him. Everything.

"Bella," he whispered. "Is that really you?"

The strangled little whines that had been getting steadily louder, more drawn out as she drew more air into her lungs turned to cries. "E-E-E-d-" she tried to say his name again. She was gasping now like a child who'd cried herself into complete hysteria.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay. It's going to be okay." He clamped a hand over his free ear because his family was talking all around him, their voices becoming increasingly louder. He couldn't pay attention to them, and he couldn't let their noise drown out anything Bella tried to say. "Where are you, Bella? Please tell me. I'll get to you. It doesn't matter where you are, I'll get to you."

She dragged in a breath so raw it made his throat hurt. "He's dead. Oh, God." She dissolved into tears again, babbling those same words over and over nonsensically.

"Bella! Bella, come back to me. Baby, please. Please." His voice was trembling. When he started crying, he had no idea, but he didn't care. He was terrified. His entire body was tensed because he didn't know what was going on, and she wouldn't calm down long enough to tell him.

For the longest minute of his life, there was silence except for her gasps.

"Edward?" she finally said in a tiny voice, sniffling.

"Yes. Bella, please. Tell me where you are."

"I... I don't know. I don't know." Her voice was high pitched. She hadn't stopped crying. "I killed him, Edward. He's dead. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Who's dead? Sweetheart, you're not making any sense."

"Alec. He tried... And I... I..."

Another wave of relief swept over him - relief and awe. Of course he was dead. Of course his diminutive, 21 year old wife had somehow killed her assailant. Jesus Christ.

Of course, that meant she was alone - or so he hoped - somewhere with a dead body.

No wonder she was freaking out.

"Listen to me. You did the right thing. Of course you did the right thing. Okay? Just take deep breaths. Calm down for me."

"I need you. Oh, God. Edward. Please. I need you," she whispered, whimpering.

He had to bite back a sob. She'd never sounded so utterly broken. The ache, the need to hold her, to comfort her, to shield her from anything - everything - else that would ever hurt her was so strong, he wanted to weep with his helplessness. He still didn't know where she was.

"I'm coming to you. I am. You just need to help me, sweetheart. I don't know where you are."

More quiet crying, but she was taking deeper breaths, slower. Another long minute went by.

"I don't know where I am. I never saw. It's a rental house. There's nothing in here. It's so bare. Only a couple of random pieces of furniture."

She was coming back to her senses slowly. He could tell by the sound of her voice.

"Okay," he said encouragingly. "Can you walk? Can you walk outside and look set the address? Or see if there's a neighbor?"

She sniffled and there was a shuffle. "Fuck! There's a padlock on the door."

"Okay. Um. He must have some keys on him." Fear and a rush of fury went right down his spine. "Are you sure he's dead?"

There was a strangely maniacal laugh. "I shot him in the head."

Holy fuck.

He swallowed hard. "Check his pockets for keys," he prompted.

There was more noise as she did so, and his heart broke when he heard her whimper again. How ugly it must have felt to dig through the pockets of a dead man. "I'm here, sweetheart. I'm going to see you really soon," he soothed, trying to keep her focused.

Jasper knelt in front of him, and Edward focused for a minute. "I have 9-1-1 on the line," his brother said.

"Bella? As soon as we get an address, we're sending police and an ambulance, okay?"

"Oh! Oh! Edward! There's an address. There's an address on the keychain."

Of course. It was a rental house.

She rattled it off and he repeated it back to Jasper who repeated it to the 9-1-1 operator. "Ambulance is two minutes away," Jasper informed him.

"Hear that? Help is on the way."

Carlisle was beckoning to him, keys to the rental car in his hand.

"I'm coming for you, Bella. Okay?" He got to his feet and was abruptly running after his father.

"Edward?" There was an edge to her voice.

"I'm right here."

"It's the baby. I think something's wrong. My stomach hurts. It  _hurts_."

Edward sucked in a breath.  _Please, not now_ , he begged the powers that be.

"Just keep breathing. You're going to be just fine. Riley's going to be fine."

"It's too soon. She's too little."

He talked softly to her, keeping her calm, trying to keep himself tethered with her.

It happened quickly after they came. There was a commotion and the sound of many feet. Voices.

She screamed, as if in terrible pain.

And then she was gone.

Terror-stricken, Edward let out a panicked noise. "Drive fast, Dad. Please."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Carlisle assured as they sped along.

It took twenty five agonizing minutes for them to get to the hospital.

Edward was out of the car even before it stopped, racing toward the hospital doors like his life depended on it.

His life did depend on it.

His heart beat seemed to stutter out first Bella's name, then his daughter's.

They had to be alright.

"My wife," he said when he got to the security station. He was gasping and breathless from running. "My wife. She was brought in here. Please. Bella Cullen."

A nurse came over. "We just need to see your I.D., Sir."

"I'm Edward Cullen. I'm her husband. Please. Just tell me. Is she okay?" His hands shook badly as he took his wallet out. So badly that the security guard took pity on him and took the thing from him, taking it upon himself to fish his driver's license out.

The nurse put her hand on his arm as they put a bracelet around his wrist. "Come with me."

He followed. He would do anything they asked. "My wife-"

"She's in surgery still, but stable. She came in with an abruption, which means they had to deliver via emergency c-section."

Edward felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "C-section? You mean.."

The nurse put her hand on his arm again with a slight smile. "Your wife delivered a baby girl about fifteen minutes ago. Four pounds, six ounces. She's breathing on her own and stable in the NICU. Congratulations, Daddy."

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Breathing? Yes?
> 
> Thank you to jfka06 for betaing and making my docs a HILARIOUS place to be. She and Barburella tried to turn this chapter into an incestuous orgy. Uh. Okay.
> 
> And thanks to GinnyW for letting me pester her constantly about all things pregnancy. ANd thanks to Shug for being Shug.
> 
> And thanks to YOU! For not killing me and for tipping me over 4k reviews. That's seriously so awesome, guys. Really. It means a lot to me. A lot, a lot.
> 
> See you soon, and we'll get to meet Riley next chapter.


	28. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You know what's impossible to do when you're on a Breaking Dawn 2 high? Write J/B.
> 
> Well, that means my E/B stories get love and affection, so here you go.

Edward had always had an image of his head of what a newborn baby looked like. Admittedly, he had almost no experience with them save for his childhood memories of the few minutes here and there he spent with his brothers when they were babies.

They were supposed to be chubby, weren't they? Hence the term 'baby fat'?

There was a flurry of activity going on behind the glass, so many doctors and nurses surrounding a single, impossibly tiny little being. Her legs and arms were so thin, Edward winced when someone moved them. They looked fragile enough they could break at a feather touch. She was a scrawny thing - bony - and yet...

She was beautiful. Breathtakingly exquisite.

And Edward was terrified for her. "I-Isn't she cold?" He didn't realize how badly he trembling until his voice shook on the way out.

"It's better for her to have just the diaper for now." The nurse's voice was placating, soothing.

Looking rather miserable, the poor little creature let loose what looked to be a mighty holler, though they couldn't hear it through the glass. Edward jumped, anxiety making him want to do something. But what? What could he do? "Is she in pain?"

"No. She just doesn't like being bothered, that's all." The woman patted his arm. "It's a good sign, her crying like that. See, she's breathing all on her own."

He'd seen TV specials - tiny tiny babies with tubes down their throat. He shuddered, his throat too tight now for words. He put his hand flat on the glass, aching with the need he felt to go to her. If he could pick her up - she looked small enough to fit in his cupped hands - and tuck her under his skin where she'd be safe, he would have.

"Did you and your wife decide on a name?"

It took Edward almost a minute to decipher the woman's question. Information was having a hard time processing through his scattered thoughts.

She was trying to distract him into calming down.

Edward wet his lips, trying to think. It felt like forever ago that he held his wife in his arms and they talked of baby names. He leaned his forehead against his hand, silencing a whimper, trying not to think of how much he wanted Bella back in his arms. She should be here with him, beside him.

Actually. Neither of them should have been in this hospital.

"Riley." The sound of his voice was a scratch, but the tone was gentle. It was one thing to hear a name when he'd never set eyes on the baby before, but now that she was here in front of him, that name and the little being burrowed right into his soul, branding him forever.

She was a part of him now.

"Riley Elizabeth Cullen," he reiterated, as if calling to the baby. His daughter.

His daughter.

His knees were shaking, but he wouldn't allow them to give out - not if it meant Riley would be out of his sight even for an instant.

It didn't feel good, watching Riley be settled in an incubator, covered in monitors and wires. It made her look even smaller, even more frail. But they seemed to be done prodding the poor thing, and so the doctor finally came out to see Edward.

"All things considered, she's doing very well."

Edward let out a big whoosh of air, bending slightly, his hands on his knees.

The long and short of it was that Riley would, by all indications, be fine. The doctor gave him an estimate of about three weeks. Three weeks Riley would be in the NICU.

"Now Kate here will help you scrub in, and you can sit with Riley while you wait for word on your wife."

Edward felt suddenly weak to his bones, tired and nervous.

"I don't know how." His tone was small, timorous.

The doctor 's smile was patient. "We'll show you."

Edward followed instructions to the letter. Nothing had ever been so important.

When he was scrubbed in, Edward walked stiffly to the incubator he had yet to take his eyes off of, and sat in the chair the nurse indicated.

Slowly, unreasonably afraid that his very touch would hurt her, Edward reached through the hole on the side of the incubator. "She's fuzzy," he murmured, talking out loud, running the very pads of his fingers wonderingly over her fine skin.

"It's called lanugo," the nurse explained. "It'll rub off soon."

Edward hardly heard her. He was too completely enraptured, studying every inch of the baby's body, taking in her miniature frame. Her tiny, skinny legs were drawn up close to her body, her hands on either side of her head. She was sleeping peacefully enough, which calmed some of Edward's anxiety.

"Hi, baby girl," he whispered softly. His tone was reverent, his eyes riveted. "Look at you. You're like a little bird, aren't you?"

There was a lump in his throat and his eyes burned, but for once in this day that seemed to be lasting a lifetime, they were tears of happiness that threatened. His heart seemed to be expanding with every beat.

He was as in love with this little girl, his little girl, as he was with her mother.

His breath was sharp as he inhaled, but he managed to speak again. "I'm your daddy, Miss Riley Elizabeth," he whispered, running the pad of a single finger across her chest and belly, feeling the ridges of her bones and the pockets of soft fleshiness. "I'm your daddy, and I love you so much."

There was so much Bella in the little girl's precious face. He could see his wife in the baby's pouty lips and the shape of her nose.

Bella should have been there with him.

Edward's heart twisted, and he missed his wife so badly. For a long moment, his chest was so constricted he couldn't make his lungs work.

His voice was shaking again when he spoke. "You have no idea how much your mommy wishes she could be here. I promise she'll come see you soon, sweet girl. I know she can't wait to meet you. She loves you, Riley. She's always loved you."

Minutes stretched on, going at once too fast and painfully slow. He felt like he would never get enough of his daughter. He had an irrational fear that when he inevitably had to walk away from her, she would disappear, or something else would happen.

But at the same time, he needed to see his wife, needed to see her breath come and go as steadily as Riley's was so he could see for himself she was alive.

Finally, the doctor, a surgeon, came by. She assured Edward that Bella had gotten through surgery just fine. She was in recovery, and he'd be able to see her soon.

For the first time in 24 hours, Edward finally felt like he could take a deep breath.

One of the nurses smiled at him as he bent his head, surreptitiously wiping away tears of relief. "Do you want to feed the baby before you see your wife, Mr. Cullen?"

Edward's head snapped up, his eyes going wide. "H-how do I do that?"

His eyes must have been so huge. He was so nervous, so scared he would do something wrong as they settled the tiny baby and all her wires into the crook of his arm. Her weight was so slight, he wouldn't have believed he was actually holding her if he couldn't see her.

Riley was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. He was already obsessed with watching her. Her perfect little mouth wrapped around the nipple of the bottle - "It's instinct," Kate explained - and she made the tiniest, most adorable little grunts as she suckled away.

"Can my family see the baby?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her for even a moment.

Kate hummed. "Well, yes. But you'll have to bring them back, one or two at a time. They won't be able to see her without you."

"Well, they'll wait, then. I'm a bit busy right now, aren't I, little bird?" As much as he was desperate to show off his little daughter to his parents, his brothers, he was content where he was.

He was reluctant to give her up and watched forlornly as Kate got her settled back in her incubator.

Just as he was considering bothering someone to ask about Bella, another nurse appeared. "Mr. Cullen? Your wife is in her room now."

Edward stood so quickly he got a little dizzy. He took one step toward the nurse, then hesitated, looking back at Riley.

Kate's smile was indulgent. "We'll take good care of her, Mr. Cullen. I promise."

Nodding, Edward caressed the side of the incubator. "I'll be back soon, little bird. I promise."

With that, he followed the nurse.

"Now, I think I should prepare you, Mr. Cullen," the nurse began softly. Edward's stomach twisted. "Mrs. Cullen is just fine. The injuries she sustained look much worse than they actually are."

He froze in the hallway. "Her injuries?"

The nurse grimaced.

"Please tell me." His tone was deceivingly calm.

The nurse's tone was gentle. "She's suffering from blunt trauma across a lot of her body. Bruising mostly."

Edward clenched his fists, fury making it difficult to even see straight. "Mostly?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Two bite marks." The woman's tone was sad. "One on her neck, which isn't too bad, and another on her shoulder."

A horrifying thought occurred to Edward then, and he felt the blood leave his face, making him feel woozy. Of course, in the gamut of horrors he'd imagined Alec capable of, Edward had thought of this before. But since he'd arrived at the hospital, his concentration had been on seeing her come through emergency surgery okay. He swallowed down bile.

"Did he..." Again, he had to swallow. "Was she sexually assaulted?" There was hardly any volume to his voice at all.

"We can't rule it out," the nurse said quietly. "She's been mostly unconscious since she was brought in, of course, since we had to knock her out right away. Delivering the baby was a priority."

"Of course. I understand."

"Now. She'll be very disoriented. We explained to her about the baby, but she might not remember."

"Is she in pain?"

"The pain from the surgery is being managed," the nurse assured. "But it's not comfortable. Giving birth in any way isn't comfortable.

"Okay." Edward took a deep breath, willing away the trepidation that had his stomach churning. He needed to be strong for Bella. She'd been strong enough, and now he needed to take care of her. "I'm ready."

He stepped slowly into her room, but the minute he saw her, he sprinted to her side, forgetting his anxiety because finally...  _finally_ , she was there in front of him.

His eyes went first to her face. Her head was turned away from him, her eyes closed. He was relieved because she looked like his Bella. Her face wasn't swollen as he'd imagined. "Sweetheart?" he said softly, reaching out to touch her with the pads of his fingers just as he'd touched their daughter earlier. Bella was quite a bit more solid, though, and he caressed her hair lightly. "Bella?"

Her eyelashes fluttered at the sound of his voice. Slowly, she turned her head.

Edward only barely swallowed his gasp of horror. The left side of her face was bruised and swollen, though not grotesquely so. Her lip was split.

His hands clenched into fists again, and he'd never wanted so badly to scream, punch something.

Someone.

He'd never been so glad another human being was dead as he was at that particular moment. Though, he had to admit, he was more than a little disappointed he couldn't rip Alec in half with his own bare hands.

But he did his best to temper those emotions as he sat at her side, stroking his fingers along her hairline.

"Edward?" Her voice was just a whisper of wind - barely there. Her eyes were blurry, unfocused, but her hand twitched as if searching.

Carefully, biting back another howl of rage as he took in the variegated purple coloring her skin, Edward took her hand. There were light bluish marks just above her elbow in the shape of fingers, and a line of little cuts circled her wrist where she'd obviously been tightly bound. _Handcuffs again_ , he thought, remembering that was what Alec had done the first time.

"Hi, sweetheart. I'm right here."

She blinked again, moaning a little as her free hand brushed over her middle. Her breath got quicker. "Baby. Where?"

"She's just fine, Bella." With his free hand, he stroked her unbruised cheek with the back of his knuckles. "She's strong, just like you."

"Seen her?"

"Riley's incredible. She's like nothing else in the whole world." He dipped his head, pressing a long kiss to Bella's hand.

"Safe?" she asked in a fretful tone. A tear fell from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, sweetheart. He can't hurt you anymore. Not you, and not Riley. You're so brave, Bella."

Her eyes fluttered closed. "I love you," she mumbled, squeezing his hand for emphasis.

"I love you, too," he promised and carefully kissed her forehead as she drifted back to sleep.

He held her hand, his eyes never leaving her. Part of him was afraid if he even blinked, he would wake up and this would all be a dream - she'd still be far from him.

"Will you bring my family back?" he started to ask the nurse when she came in again, but trailed off when he saw a figure hovering the doorway.

Giving Bella's hand a squeeze of reassurance, even though she was asleep, Edward stood.

"Officer Birdy has been trying to see Mrs. Cullen for a while now," the nurse explained, looking as displeased as Edward felt. Birdy was one of the officers who'd refused to help him the day before.

Edward strode up to the officer in the doorway, his expression fierce. "Unless you're here to apologize, you have nothing to say to my wife right now," he said tightly.

The officer's eyes narrowed, but he looked at least a little contrite, uncomfortable. "We have questions for Mrs. Cullen."

"Well, Mrs. Cullen is indisposed at the moment seeing as she just gave birth to my daughter via an emergency caesarean section necessitated by a placental abruption brought on because that son of a bitch you refused to go after felt the need to beat her. You know, since she went with him willingly." Edward was careful not to raise his voice, but his tone got more threatening, angrier, as he continued.

Officer Birdy grimaced. "That will be investigated, but I'm afraid you're not getting rid of me that easily, Mr. Cullen. Your wife killed a police officer."

Edward saw red. "Come here," he said through gritted teeth, ushering the officer in the door. He stepped over to Bella's bedside, careful to keep the volume of his voice controlled so as not to disturb his wife's rest.

"I'm no investigator, Officer Birdy, but look at her and tell me you think this was anything other than self-defense," he demanded. "Do you see this?" he pointed to her wrists. "I'm fairly certain these are from police-issued handcuffs, because she was so willing to be with him, he felt the need to keep her restrained. And of course, he must have beat her in self-defense because she was so flighty and crazy, he was afraid for his life. Only look at her wounds, Officer." He gestured to the marks visible on her arms. "Those aren't from a fist. The edges of the bruise are long and perfectly straight. My guess is a belt. Because this highly trained police officer felt so threatened by this girl who was so much smaller than he was, he had the time to beat her with his belt."

"You've made your point, Mr. Cullen," the officer said tightly.

"With all due respect, sir, if you get anywhere near this room again, I will have your badge. As it is, I am seriously contemplating going to the media and letting them know that you could have stopped this from happening to her."

"Mr. Cullen-"

"No. I've heard enough. I know your rules, and I know why they exist, which is the only reason my lawyer isn't breathing down your neck as we speak." It was more difficult than ever to keep his voice down. "You will not disturb my wife right now with your questions. My daughter will be in the NICU for weeks, which means we're not going anywhere. You don't need to be anywhere near either of them right now, am I making myself clear?"

The officer nodded shortly, obviously pissed but also aware he didn't have a leg to stand on. "We'll be in touch shortly."

"I'm sure you will."

As the officer went out of the room, he had to pass by Edward's entire family, each of them glaring. Even Esme's expression was hard.

Edward's cheek twitched. After spending the last hour and a half by himself, he was surprised by how relieved he felt, knowing his family was there. His fury began to subside, and he was ready to lean on someone else for a few minutes.

"Oh, sweetheart," Esme said on a breath as she stepped to Bella's bedside, taking in her battered form.

They all found spots against the wall to lean against or chairs to sit in, setting up camp, there to support the both of them.

"Everything's going to be okay," Carlisle said softly, squeezing Edward's shoulder.

And for the first time since he'd realized Bella was missing, Edward truly believed those words. "I know, Dad."

"So tell us about Riley," Jasper prompted after a moment. "Tell us about our niece."

Automatically wary, Edward's eyes flicked up and everyone - even Rosalie - looked nothing but interested. He knew they all had questions, that none of them really understood how Edward had come to be married to a girl on the run from her baby's biological father.

But with Jasper's words and their open expressions, another weight lifted from his shoulders.

They would accept what he already had. Bella was truly his wife, their daughter and sister-in-law. Riley was his daughter, their granddaughter, and niece. Blood had little to no importance to that connection.

Smiling for the first time in what felt like forever, Edward began to tell them about his little girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Much thanks to Shug for beta work and Barburella who will kill me for posting this. Also, thanks forever to Ginny who let me pester her about all things NICU.
> 
> I was planning to get much further along than this but Edward insisted on being wordy. I should know this by now.
> 
> But either way, we're not very far from the end. Just a few more chapters.


	29. The Brighter Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wanted to get this out of the way now cuz it's come up in a lot of reviews. Technically speaking, the Las Vegas PD did absolutely nothing wrong. An adult woman went missing with no signs of a struggle. They were actually VERY indulgent in helping Edward pull the video so they could see her walk off. They were a little RUDE about it (which you can almost understand - I'm sure Edward was going a little insane), but they were correct to not try to go after Bella right away.
> 
> There are only so many police officers, and I'm sure missing persons who aren't really missing are very, very, very common.
> 
> So while yes, it's frustrating because they COULD have helped, the sad fact is that no matter what you do, someone is going to fall through the cracks somewhere. It's just life. In this case, Bella suffered for it. But there'd be no sense in wasting everyone's time with a lawsuit.

When her thoughts became more cognizant, the first thing Bella thought was surely she must have been hit with Mack truck... with spikes built into the front. Saying she was sore was a gross understatement.

She remembered being beaten by Alec. This hurt worse than that. What had he done to her now? What...

No. Alec was dead. She remembered his dangerous scowl as he ran at her, remembered the kick of the gun as she leveled it and fired, and remembered how his body jerked backward before he fell in a heap.

His sightless eyes, the blood oozing from the wound in the middle of his forehead... it was an image that would haunt her forever. But somehow, she'd fished his cell phone from his pocket. Her hands were shaking so bad, she dropped the thing three times before she was able to dial.

Edward. Edward. Edward.

And then he answered.

And before she knew it, the adrenaline coursing through her veins drained away. She became aware of a severe ache that grew worse by the second until it felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside out.

The paramedics came in. Edward's voice was gone and they were asking her questions. She only really remembered bits and pieces. There was the loud wail of the ambulance siren. An oxygen mask over her face and the medic explaining they were going to put her under as soon as they got to the hospital.

"Too soon," she'd moaned, terribly frightened and confused.

Too soon. She still had seven whole weeks to go. The baby was due at the end of January, beginning of February. It wasn't even Christmas yet.

Her baby. What had happened to her baby?

But then she remembered Edward's voice calming her, soothing, telling her the baby was safe and he'd seen her.

He'd seen her baby.

Bella was suddenly desperate to open her eyes.

"Sweetheart?" someone said at the same time another voice said, "Bella?"

Esme and her mother. Bella let her eyes focus, finding them. She saw Carlisle hovering behind them, and when he saw her looking, he smiled his gentle smile. But where...

Bella tried to move her hand but found it anchored. She shifted her head a little and felt a little calmer when she saw that Edward sat by her bedside, his hand wrapped firmly in hers, his head tilted to the side as he slept.

"He finally passed out about twenty minutes ago," Esme explained, her voice a whisper.

Bella licked her lips, trying to find her voice. She tried to sit up a little only to groan when the sudden movement jarred her tender insides.

"Ouch. Hold on a minute, honey. There's a remote on the bed. That'll help."

"Mom," Bella murmured hoarsely.

Her mother smiled sadly, pressing her hand against her cheek. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry."

Bella swallowed. Her mouth was so dry. "Why?"

Renee looked so guilty. "Well, we'll talk about that when you're feeling a little better."

Scattered, Bella was quick to panic. Why would her mother be sorry? And both she and Esme had been crying, it was clear from their red rimmed eyes. Bella's breath quickened, sending pain shooting through her. "Baby? My baby? Is Riley..."

"Shh, shh. Bella. Calm down. Calm down, honey." Esme was patting her, trying to get her to lay back. "Riley's fine, sweetheart. Just fine."

The fingers around her hand squeezed, and the sound of Edward's scratchy voice calling her name did wonders to quiet Bella's panic. She looked over, still feeling frantic, just as Edward leaned forward, his eyes bleary with sleep but concerned.

"I want to see my baby," Bella whispered plaintively.

"I know, honey. Soon, okay? Very soon. But right now, you just need to recover a little bit." He stroked her forehead with his fingertips.

"Look, Bella," Renee interjected. "The nurses brought this up a few minutes ago. See? This is Riley." She offered Bella a Polaroid photo.

Bella's hands were shaking, so it was Edward who reached out, taking the photo from his mother-in-law and tilting it close so Bella could see.

For a few tense seconds, Bella could hardly breathe as she took in the image in front of her. Riley was terrifyingly small, dwarfed by the bed she rested in and the wires she was adorned with. But good God, she was precious.

The love Bella felt then was fathomless, depthless. It was made up of every emotion all at once, because she felt everything at once. She felt horribly guilty because she'd been unable to stay pregnant long enough. Riley was so skinny, scrawny. She felt powerful because the absolute need to protect the tiny, helpless baby - her baby - was so great, she felt as though she could tear apart anyone who threatened Riley. She was awed and angry, profoundly joyful and intensely afraid.

She was gasping with the strength of the sobs that wracked her, but though she knew her body was protesting, she hardly registered the pain.

"Shhh, Bella. It's okay. She's going to be just fine. She's perfect, sweetheart. Really," Edward murmured in her ear, his arm around her shoulder and his free hand gently cupping her cheek.

"She.. She... She's like a little bird," Bella whispered brokenly.

"That's exactly what I said."

The tone of his voice caught Bella's attention. Though she wasn't ready to look away from the still image, she did glance at him. What she saw written on his face made it infinitely easier to breathe.

After the horror that Alec had put her through, Bella had been forced to face the truth she'd been trying to forget. Edward wasn't Riley's biological father. Now, looking at her baby, Bella could pick out the things that were all her or even her family. She saw herself in the shape of the baby's lips and nose and the way her ears were a little too big for the rest of her.

But she could also see Alec. She saw the sharpness of his high cheekbones in miniature, and the smattering of hair on Riley's head was the same dark shade as his.

Just before she looked at him, Bella wondered if Edward would feel differently than he claimed. She wondered if he would feel disconnected because he would never be able to see himself in Riley. Biologically, she could never be his. She was not a product of the love he and Bella shared.

But all Bella saw on his face, heard in his voice, was reverence. Adoration. Love. She knew her worst fears were unfounded.

Edward didn't look on the baby and see Alec. He only saw his daughter.

"She feels like a little bird too. So warm, but there's hardly any weight to her at all," Edward continued, sounding completely enraptured as he touched his fingers to the photograph.

"You've held her?" Bella was instantly jealous. "Has everyone seen her but me?" She pouted. She couldn't help it.

"Actually, Edward's the only one who's seen her," Carlsile contributed.

Edward looked sheepish. "They can't see her unless one of us is with them," he explained.

"And I can't, er, travel yet." She grumbled.

"Oh! I just remembered. The nurse said you could call the neonatal nurse when you woke up. She'll tell you about Riley." Renee smiled encouragingly.

Eager, Bella looked around, trying to figure out where her phone was. Edward was already on it. He dialed the extension Renee handed over and settled with his head against hers so they could both hear.

Kate introduced herself and enthusiastically told them how awesome Riley was doing. She continued to breathe well on her own. She'd cleared the hurdle of suckling when Daddy fed her, which Kate assured her was a big milestone.

"You fed her?" Bella asked Edward, staring accusingly.

His smile was impish.

Kate went on saying how there'd been a little trouble keeping Riley's temperature regulated, but assured them it was common. She finished with some stats about how much Riley could drink and how often, commenting that once Bella was able to come down and feed her, she could consider breast feeding if that was something she was interested in. Kate explained there were several options. They could even get her set up with a pump if that was a better option. They just needed to be sure the anesthesia was cleared from her system.

Though Bella's heart ached - she wanted so much to see the baby with her own eyes - she felt infinitely better once she was off the phone with Kate. She kept Riley's photo on her lap, staring at it intermittently as she got the rest of her thoughts in order.

Now that she was sure the baby was safe, her priorities shifted slightly. A cold chill ran down her spine. "Edward?" she whispered.

Catching the distress in her voice, Edward was quick to take her hand. "What is it?"

"How much... How much trouble am I in?" She'd killed somebody.

Good God, she'd murdered a  _cop_.

Alec's slack face appeared in her mind, and Bella whimpered.

"I killed him..."

"Well, of course you did," Esme said. There was no disapproval in her voice at all only... pride?

Edward squeezed her hand. "It's going to be fine. The police... They have questions." She could hear the edge of fury in his voice, but he was trying to keep his voice smooth. "But they're not going to bother you until you're ready."

"I was so stupid." She felt hot tears on her cheeks but couldn't be embarrassed. She was too ashamed to be embarrassed. "H-h-he was going to... And I told him. I told him about..."

She trailed off, looking around the room at her mother, Esme, and Carlisle.

"You don't have to talk about this right now," Edward said quietly. "Please don't be upset, Bella. Everyone understands. The police... They just need to follow up, okay? They have pictures of all..." He trailed off, swallowing hard, and Bella could see the pain and fury in his eyes. "They took pictures of the bruising. It would take a complete idiot to think you did this out of anything but self-defense."

"I thought he was going to kill me." Her voice was barely a breath. "Or Riley. I couldn't let him, Edward. I couldn't."

"It's fine. You're going to be fine. Don't worry about anything, sweetheart. I'm going to get my lawyer down here, just in case. It's all going to be fine."

"Well, actually..." Carlisle sounded oddly abashed, and it caught all of their attention. He grimaced. "One of the best lawyers in Nevada is down in the lobby waiting to speak to you, Edward."

Before they could delve into that a nurse appeared, needing to check in on Bella.

"I'm going to figure out about this lawyer, okay?" Edward asked quietly. "I won't be far."

Bella nodded. The pain was becoming more insistent. She really hoped the nurse had something that would help.

Edward pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you, too," she said with a sigh, trusting him to help her, to keep her safe.

_**~0~** _

Edward was reluctant to step outside Bella's room, but he had other responsibilities. Already, he was cursing himself for falling asleep without thinking to call his lawyer.

Crossing his arms, he looked to his father. For a moment, it was as if their roles were switched. Carlisle looked every bit the child as he fidgeted and Edward like the parent as he waited for a confession.

"Your grandfather flew into Vegas right around the time we found Bella," Carlisle finally admitted. "He's been in the lobby for hours."

"What does he want?" Running on as little fuel as Edward was, his emotions seemed to come only in extremes.

The thought of having to deal with his grandfather - or worse, Bella having to deal with his grandfather - made him utterly furious. "Did you tell him?"

"No. Your mother called Felix to let him know not to bother you with work. That was last night some time. No one asked him to come. He just... appeared." He touched Edward's arm. "For what it's worth, he's... different than normal. He seems genuinely concerned. He didn't even try to see you or Bella, but told me not twenty minutes ago about the lawyer. Though, I'm not entirely sure how he knew we might need one."

Edward grunted. "Well, it's not unlike Grandfather to assume a lawyer would be handy in any situation." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Most of him wanted to tell his grandfather to go straight to hell, but there was this matter of the police. If they decided, for whatever insane reason, to hold Bella responsible for Alec's death...

Well, he didn't trust them not to.

"Fine. I'll talk to him."

Carlisle nodded. "I'll come with you."

Edward was about to protest, but he quickly swallowed it back, reminding himself again that he wasn't alone. "I appreciate that."

_**~0~** _

Under other circumstances, had Grandfather approached him at a family gathering or even a company function, Edward would probably have allowed him to save face. He was a proud old man, and just the fact that he was here - not demanding to be seen but waiting patiently - spoke volumes. Something had changed; Edward could see it in the man's face. If it were any other day, providing he was more polite to his family, Edward might have been inclined to let the old man pretend their fight had never happened.

But Edward was not feeling generous. He was on the defense and thirsty for blood. Bella had taken care of Alec. Edward needed another target.

So after Grandfather Cullen introduced the lawyer - Carmen Rivera - Edward leveled a glare at the old man. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Grandfather looked displeased but nodded shortly.

"Why are you doing this?" Edward asked bluntly, his arms crossed and his posture closed.

"I'm not sure wh-"

"With respect, sir, I need you to be honest with me. For my wife's sake, I appreciate the gesture, but I will not take it if it comes with stipulations."

Edward Sr's lips twisted down. "Dramatic as ever," he muttered.

Edward got ready to turn around, but his grandfather's hand on his elbow stopped him.

"But," the older man continued, his tone more gentle, "under the circumstances, who could blame you. How is your wife, Edward?"

Edward eyed the senior Cullen warily. His grandfather sighed.

"Your father's words... Well. Let's just say I've had some time to... reexamine the foundation of my beliefs." It was obvious the man was uncomfortable, chafing. "Genuinely, I only want to help. She is your wife. Whatever legal... er... issues she might run into, I'd like to make that process clearer. For the both of you."

Edward studied his Grandfather, wanting badly to believe but having been burned too many times. "I want you to understand something up front. Bella is my wife - honestly and truly. I love her. Riley is our daughter.  _My_ daughter." He paused, letting this sink in. "That being said, I think it's only fair you know that... biologically, the man Bella shot and killed in self-defense was the baby's father."

The older man looked displeased, but he only nodded tightly. "Well, I'm sure that information will be much more useful to Ms. Ivanova."

The two men stood in tense silence. Swallowing thickly, Edward nodded. "Thank you," he said simply.

"You never did tell me how your wife is doing. And the baby. What did you say his name is?"

"Her name. Her name is Riley."

_**~0~** _

Bella surprised everyone by wanting to talk to the cops as soon as she was feeling a little more composed.

So her hospital room was emptied of all her visitors except Edward, Carmen, and two police officers. Edward held her hand and glared at the cops. As nervous as she was, Bella knew it was important to get her story out as quickly as possible, especially given the players involved.

"We want to make it clear that this is just part of standard investigation procedures," the first cop began. "At this time, you are not under any suspicion. No charges are being brought against you. Do you understand?"

Bella nodded. "Yes."

Edward squeezed her hand tightly.

"Can you state your full name for the record please?"

"Bella Marie Cullen. Formerly Isabella Marie Swan."

Answering the cops' questions, Bella began to tell her story. They got sidetracked quickly when she detailed James's involvement. Edward gasped audibly. The officers asked for more information about James - how she knew him, his involvement with Alec and the like. One of them stepped out to name James as a person of interest they needed to speak to as soon as possible.

"I don't understand why you didn't report James as the one who attacked you."

"Officer Goff," Carmen said warningly. "As Mrs. Cullen is under no suspicion, she needn't justify her actions to you."

The officer cleared her throat and continued to the next question.

Bella's throat got tight as she went over Alec's treatment of her. Edward ran his thumb over her knuckles, but she could feel the tension in his body. She hated that he had to hear this, but she didn't feel like she could get through it without him. She felt dangerously close to falling apart.

When she got to the point where Alec attacked her, intent on making her 'make things up' to him, Bella couldn't speak at all. As it was, she felt ugly and ashamed, admitting to these people - to her husband - that she'd kissed Alec and told him she was afraid of Edward. But when she got to the point where Alec forced her over the counter, she lost her voice entirely.

Holding her hand, Edward bent forward, his lips to her ear, his nose nuzzling her hair. "It's okay. Bella, you're so brave. I'm so proud of you. If you need to stop, just say the word, and this stops now."

Bella shook her head, breathing deeply. Her body felt cold except where he held her hand, and she shivered. She wanted to be back home in Chicago, under the blankets, curled against him with Riley still tucked safe in her belly.

"Want to get this over with," she murmured. Her voice was oddly high pitched and willowy.

With halting words, she described the assault and how she stalled him. How he shoved her, and she hit her side against the wall - what had no doubt caused the abruption she'd suffered.

How she ran for the gun and shot as he came running toward her.

Bella couldn't hold back her tears any more. As her composure fell away, Edward was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, carefully wrapping her in his arms.

"We're done here," he said, his tone ringing with finality. Bella could guess those words were aimed at the police officers.

"Yes, sir." Officer Goff sounded distinctly sad. "We'll leave you be."

Bella heard footsteps, and then the room was quiet. Edward was rocking her gently, stroking her hair and pressing the occasional kiss to her crown.

In her head, a slideshow of images continued to assault her. Alec's face, intimidating and too near hers. Him standing over her, belt in hand. The way she looked when she saw her reflection in the mirror last night. Alec's expression twisted with livid fury. His body in an unnatural heap. His dead eyes as she searched first for his phone and then for the house keys. Her baby. Her little bird, fragile and relatively far away.

By the time she'd quieted, Bella was physically and mentally exhausted.

"You should sleep, sweetheart. You've earned it," Edward encouraged.

Bella shook her head. "No. I want my baby. I need to see her."

For a minute, it seemed as though Edward would argue. He must have seen the look on her face though, because he only nodded solemnly and reached over to press the call button.

The nurse had had her up and about a little some time before, so they didn't get too much grief before an orderly came by with a wheelchair. Bella found herself wringing her hands fitfully as they got closer to the NICU. Her heart was pounding hard. She was so nervous to meet her daughter.

"Almost there, baby," Edward soothed, rubbing her arm as he walked alongside her.

There was that first terrifying glimpse of the NICU: so much machinery and supplies all designed to keep the tiniest of lives afloat. They taught her how to scrub in, and Bella paid close attention wanting,  _needing_ to do everything right. She'd messed up enough. It was her fault Riley was in here, her life in a more fragile state than most newborns. Bella was going to give her every chance she could to thrive.

"You're just in time for dinner," the nurse said amiably. "We'll have to discuss breastfeeding later. For now, a bottle. Would you like to feed her, Mrs. Cullen?"

Bella's yes was so breathy, it was almost inaudible. She cleared her throat, her eyes stuck on the tiny, perfect creature not so far away now in the incubator. "Yes," she said again, and though she was desperate to hold her baby in her arms, she was also afraid.

Riley was so unbearably small. What if Bella hurt her?

The guilt, the fear, none of it mattered when the baby was finally settled, warm and perfect, against her. The picture had not done her justice. There was no way a still image could adequately represent the little being in her arms. Her features, all her impossibly small parts and pieces, were so intricately carved. She was a masterpiece: breathtaking and real. Yes, her features were gaunt, her bony body unhealthy looking, but her skin was pink and fresh. When Bella brushed one finger against her palm, Riley squeezed - the grip barely there but still, it registered.

That had to mean something.

"Hello, little bird. I'm your mommy," she whispered. She knew she was crying, could feel the warm tears on her cheeks. "I love you, little girl. I love you so much."

There was a time, when her world was upside down and unrecognizable, that Bella feared she could never love the life she carried. Yes, her every instinct was to protect it - this innocent being she'd sparked - but protection and love just weren't the same thing. And even then Bella knew Riley deserved all the love in the world.

How different things were now.

The emotion - rife with complete devotion and unconditional love - she felt for her daughter was unlike anything she even imagined existed. It was as infinite as the universe and as physically a part of her as her own limbs.

She felt Edward's hand resting against her shoulder and looked up only long enough to grin widely at him, happy beyond measure. His answering smile was gorgeous, his eyes lit and the love in them obvious.

"My precious girls," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her forehead. As Riley worked her lips around the nipple of her bottle, he ran the pad of his finger over her arm.

"My family," Bella whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: One more chap and an epilogue. Thanks to GinnyW for letting me pester her and to Jfka06 and Barburella for making my docs an interesting place to be. At least there was no orgy this time.
> 
> Bella is sore.
> 
> Barbi's rec:  
> Somewhere With You by Forever-Liz: A little (lot?) angsty, well written and filled with memories of first love. E&B. Weekly updates: bit . ly / QsqMhf (remove the spaces).


	30. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh mah gah. You guise. This chapter legit stopped talking to me for a while. Sigh. Sorry for the delay. We're back... just in time to finish.

"No..."

Edward stirred, blinking sleepily, trying to figure out if he was really awake. The room seemed to be moving, like a boat rocking at sea.

"Get away from me!"

Fully awake at that, Edward rolled carefully onto his side, his hand automatically darting out, but hovering just above Bella's thrashing form. His throat tightened - seeing her suffer was never easy.

"Sweetheart?" He let his hand rest on her shoulder.

"Not my baby. Please," she begged.

"Bella." He called her name, stroking her cheek.

She woke with a start, her eyes wild. "Edward?"

"I'm right here."

"Edward," she whimpered, scrambling into his arms.

Carefully, he moved them so they were sitting on the bed, and murmured to her nonsensically, rocking her.

"I thought he got to you. And the baby... the baby..."

It killed him how her voice trembled. "Everything's fine. You're okay. Riley's perfect. Look. She's asleep."

Bella pushed away from him, peering over the side of the bed. When she saw Riley nestled safe in her bassinet, her breath left her in a gust and her body slumped, tension giving way to relief.

She breathed deep. "Yeah." Her voice was more steady, deeper. When she was still in the throws of nightmare, her tone got as high pitched as a little girl. "We're okay."

"We're okay," he agreed. He stroked her cheek, brushing away her tears.

Sniffling, she turned her body toward him, resting her head against his chest, breathing in and out through her nose

"We're home, and you're safe," he reminded her. "Riley's safe."

They'd been home for a few days now after Riley's three weeks and several days stay in the NICU. Bella's nightmares, while heartbreaking to Edward, were better now that they were home. It was easier to convince her shaken psyche things could get back to normal when she was back to a more routine place.

And it was definitely easier for both of them now that Riley was free of any wires, monitors, or big hospital equipment.

After a few minutes of peace, Riley woke and squalled. Edward reached for her first and settled the tiny baby carefully between him and Bella. She calmed quickly as they caressed and patted her.

She was still so small, their little bird, but growing. She was finally starting to show a little of that baby chub, though Edward was still a little terrified by how easily breakable she seemed. He rested his finger in her tiny hand, taking comfort in the way she gripped him instinctively.

"You know I love you, right?" Bella whispered. She sounded sleepy, and when he looked up, he saw that her eyes were hooded.

"Of course I know that." Gently tugging his finger back out of Riley's hand, he brushed the hair out of Bella's eyes. "I love you, too."

Edward had come to realize Bella needed to hear the words - that he loved her and loved Riley - more often than she knew how to ask for them. Edward had spoken briefly a few times with a counselor at the hospital when he began to suspect there was something to the way she kept asking him fitfully if he knew she loved him.

It made sense, in a lot of ways. Her subconscious struggled with the idea she was safe and truly loved without conditions - the right way, not Alec's warped and twisted version of love. He knew, in her heart of hearts, she feared he couldn't love Riley because she wasn't biologically his. She was forever watching them together.

So Edward did his best to constantly reassure her, hoping someday soon, the words would sink in. It wasn't always easy and it was often frustrating. They both hated how he had to sleep on the very edge of the bed - far enough from her that her psyche wouldn't begin to feel restrained. When she woke afraid, as she had that morning, Edward had to take care that his sheltering arms didn't turn into restraints in her head.

It was slow going, but Edward and Bella were reclaiming their intimacy one touch, one caress at a time.

"Will you sleep?" Bella murmured, her eyes already closing again. If he was going to fall asleep, she wouldn't want the baby on the bed - not while Bella still thrashed with nightmares.

"Not right now." Carefully, Edward leaned into brush a kiss against her crown. "Right now, I'm going to watch my beautiful girls."

And that was exactly what he did.

_**~0~** _

Bella was exasperated.

"Is this necessary?" she grumbled to her husband.

"Absolutely," he said seriously, his voice low near her ear. Bella shivered pleasantly in response. He was walking them carefully down the stairs, his hands tight over her eyes, and so her other senses were heightened. "I couldn't wrap some of your presents, so this is the way it's got to be."

" _Some_  of my presents? Edward, what did you do?" Bella groaned.

It had been decided that Riley's first Christmas - and Bella's first Christmas with the family - couldn't be regulated to how they'd spent the original day: worried because the baby was struggling with jaundice. To that end, the family was gathered at Edward and Bella's house for dinner and presents - just as they would have been under normal circumstances, even if it was over a month late.

Edward just chuckled in her ear and continued forward until they finally got to the bottom of the stairs. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he murmured against her ear before he lifted his hands from her eyes.

Bella gasped. "Oh my God!"

She flew forward, right into the waiting arms of the boy - holy crow, he was a giant of a man now - in the foyer. "Jacob!" She was already crying as she threw her arms around his neck. Laughing, the boy-man spun her around. "I missed you!"

"Hey, Bella. Long time no see," he said, hugging her tight before he set her down.

Disentangling herself from Jacob's arms, Bella went to hug the second person standing in the foyer - her mother.

As soon as she'd hugged Renee, Bella went to Edward, peppering his face with so many kisses for once he was the one who blushed. But he held her tight against him, and when she looked up, he seemed happy she was happy.

_**~0~** _

"You're different, Bells."

Bella turned to her side to find Jacob looking at her, his expression mildly curious. She felt instantly self-conscious, wondering if he was picking up any anxiety. Her skittishness and the way she sometimes jumped at shadows irritated Bella to no end, but she didn't think Jake could have seen it. She was typically okay in the house, and -

"Whoa. Jeez." Jacob laughed and touched the pad of his finger between her eyes, making her go crosseyed. He laughed again - same old Jacob. "I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"Well, what did you mean then?"

"I don't know how to explain it. You're just..." He shook his head, looking her over again. "You look good. This family you found is kind of crazy, though."

Bella grinned, looking out over the room, watching everyone mill and talk. "They have their moments, but I think I'll keep them." She made a wry face. "I mean, it doesn't look like I have a choice. They won't give my baby back." Her ever watchful eyes tracked Riley as she was handed from Jasper to Esme.

"Wow," Jacob muttered. "That's still so crazy to me. I can't get used to the idea of you being a mom. And a wife. It's... weird."

"Yeah." It still made Bella's head spin - how quickly her life had changed in the space of just around six months.

Her friend nudged her. "You know, I'm going to miss you a lot. But it's a good thing, what you got going on here."

Bella's mouth quirked up into a smile. "You think?"

"Yeah. Forks - I don't think you would have ever been happy there. And now look at you. You have a plan to do … what's it called? Interior decorating?"

"Interior design," she corrected.

"Yeah. That, which is cool. And, I don't know. You seem happy with the whole domesticity thing."

Across the room, Bella caught Edward's gaze. He smiled at her, and her cheeks felt warm, pleasant tingles travelling down her spine. "With the right person, it's good."

"He does love you. I can't argue with that," Jacob said cheerfully.

He excused himself then to inhale another of one of the thousands of plates of little cookies and appetizers that were scattered around. He stopped Esme in the middle of the room, waggling his fingers playfully at Riley who didn't seem impressed.

Esme was still chuckling as she came to take Jacob's place at Bella's side.

"Hey, little bird. Are you hanging out with Grandma?" Bella asked her daughter, not taking her from Esme's arms but stroking her soft cheek.

"Well, when I can wrestle her away from everyone else."

Bella smiled, her eyes still on her daughter as she stroked the tufts of dark hair that seemed to thicken more by the week. Jet black hair. Alec's hair.

She swallowed hard.

"I'm glad, you know," Bella said softly. "They all accept her."

Esme looked perplexed. "Well, honey, of course they do. She's their niece. My granddaughter."

Closing her eyes briefly, Bella smiled though she felt overwhelmed.

"Are you okay, dear?" Esme's hand was on her arm in an instant.

"Yeah. Yes, I'm fine." She still got emotional easily. "It's just a lot sometimes. The way this began... I mean, I took advantage of a total stranger's kindness. He saved me. And gave me a home, a family... love."

"But, Bella, don't you understand, you've saved him, too?" Esme asked quietly.

Opening her eyes, blinking away the wetness, Bella furrowed her brow at her mother-in-law. "He didn't need to be saved."

"Oh, he did. We all did, really - our family, anyway." Readjusting Riley in her arms, Esme turned her body slightly so she could nod in Edward's direction. "A year ago, at Christmas, what you would have seen was my oldest son sitting off by himself. He usually had his hands folded across his chest, and he smiled very seldomly."

Bella could hear the lingering pain in Esme's voice, but she couldn't quite understand. As she watched Edward now, he had a broad smile in place. He tapped Emmett's arm to get his attention, and whatever was said, the boys began mock-punching at each other and laughing.

"You've seen it yourself - the rift that stood between all of us and Edward. When you came into his life, that rift began to heal, finally." The older woman's smile was gentle, adoring, not only for Edward but for Bella. "You made my lonely, unhappy son a husband and father. Everything he's had or accomplished? He's never smiled like this, Bella. Never. He's never seemed so... light."

Esme clucked her tongue, her expression thoughtful. "Most people would probably think having a baby at fifteen was the biggest mistake of my life. But my baby saved me in so many ways. I wanted to save him, but now I know it wasn't something I could do." She sighed quietly.

"The older I get, the more I realize mistakes are part of the package. Yes, Carlisle and I were very irresponsible when we were fifteen, and all things considered, getting pregnant with Edward  _was_  the biggest mistake of my life at that time. But Carlisle and I? If it hadn't been for Edward, we likely would have been a flash in the pan. What could have been just a teenage fling became something both Carlisle and I fought for. Our biggest mistake became our greatest salvation. "

Bella turned this over in her head, trying to reconcile what Esme was saying with her guilt over everything - how she and Edward began, how Riley had gotten her start in life. But there was something to what Esme was trying to say. Yes, so many of the things she'd done were ill advised, even horrible, but look at what she'd gotten in return: her wonderful husband and her little bird.

And yes, though she sometimes concentrated on the bad things - how chaotic and upturned Edward's life had been since she'd wandered haphazardly into it - she wasn't so naive that she couldn't see the good that had come of everything. Alice had it right when they talked several months before: she was a catalyst to a lot of things being said that had needed saying for a long time.

Edward, ducking away from Emmett as the younger man tried to put him in a headlock. He loped over, sitting on Bella's other side and tickling her neck with the tip of his nose. Bella giggled.

Lifting her head back, she considered him for a moment, remembering the serious, somewhat sullen stranger he'd been when they first met.

Esme was right. It was a stark contrast to the way he looked now - his smile so wide and easy, his eyes soft and adoring.

Leaning in, she kissed him sweetly, savoring.

She couldn't have known how her mistake would turn out, what a gift in disguise they could be. There was no denying she was lucky.

Wrapping her arms around Edward's neck, Bella thought she was going to have to stop overthinking it and just enjoy the love she'd found.

_**~0~** _

They were just about to sit down to dinner when the doorbell rang. Edward was both surprised and not to find his grandfather standing outside his door, looking uncomfortable.

Edward Senior had changed considerably since his fallout with his son and grandson. He'd made vague reference to what had brought this on, that what Carlisle had said had made him rethink many things. It was probably the reason he'd gone out of his way to hire the best lawyer for Bella and had further put Edward and Bella up in a hotel near the hospital while Riley was in the NICU.

Whatever it was, it couldn't have been easy to get used to coming at things differently, but he was trying. So Edward tried his best not to be wary.

What he didn't expect in a million years was when, after dinner, the old man sat down in front of Edward and Bella looking like he had taken a huge bite of a very rotten lemon.

"Young lady," he began, frowned, and tried again. "When we met... Some of the things I said..."

Bella reached forward, putting her hand over his and looking right at him. "I understand," she said quietly. "Would you like to hold the baby?"

Both Edwards looked at Bella with eyes bulging out of their heads.

As ridiculous as it seemed, Edward had always been at least moderately terrified of his grandfather. Even then, though the man was obviously trying to play nice and working to enjoy rather than criticize his family, Edward was slightly tense, waiting for the next moment when Grandfather would find  _something_  wrong. It never failed to impress him that Bella had never shown the man any fear.

And of course, it only spoke to her gentle heart that despite the man having called her a whore, she'd long ago forgiven him.

The elder Cullen cleared his throat. "It's been a long while since I've held a baby." He looked at Riley, his expression a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.

Bella stood, lifting Riley out of Edward the Second's arms and settling her into Edward the First's.

The old man chuffed, watching enraptured as the infant yawned. She made a few baby noises, grunting and swallowing, but then closed her eyes, just as content to be in his arms as she was with everyone else.

Edward waited, his shoulders tensed. Scenarios ran through his mind where his grandfather denounced the child. If he ever said one word against her...

"She's beautiful," he said quietly. "Truly."

Bella smiled, and Edward relaxed, putting his arm around his wife, tilting his head to lean against her hair.

He caught Carlisle watching them and wondered if it ached. This was what he never got: his father accepting his choice in mate, his child. But Carlisle didn't look hurt. He only smiled as if everything was exactly as it should be.

Looking at his beautiful wife, so strong and vibrant, and his little girl, already the apple of his eye, surrounded by a family he was learning really, truly loved him, Edward couldn't help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Zomg.
> 
> Yes, there are a couple of things we still need to clear up (both of them start with J's). I haven't forgotten. There's an epilogue for that!
> 
> I'll save the mush for the epilogue, but thanks to my girls who let me whine and cry when this refused to speak to me and helped me out. Thanks to GinnyW, Shug, and barburella for stalking my docs this last little bit.
> 
> Oh quick, cute, awesome rec: The Babysitter by Plummy. So cute and funny. Very short. 2 of 3 chaps posted.


	31. New Book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Allison - honey. Your review wasn't signed. You're welcome to pick my brain anytime. Just send me a PM. :)
> 
> Okay. Here we go!

_**~5 Years Later~** _

Bella was feeling a little frantic, stressed as the elevator opened.

"Bellisima!" She was instantly greeted by Felix and engulfed in a hug. He held her an arms length away, his eyes raking over her form hungrily. "You only get more gorgeous as the years pass." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "If you ever get tired of Edward, you know where to find me."

It used to make Bella uncomfortable, the way Edward's cousin looked at her. Any man looking at her that way made her skin crawl.

But though she'd learned to be cautious, the passing years had eased her paranoia somewhat, at least with familiar men. Felix was a harmless flirt - annoying perhaps, but harmless.

"Oh, Felix," she said, patting his arm. "No."

He'd been even worse than usual since his wife, Jane, had asked for a divorce six months prior. The man, according to Edward, had the worst taste in women.

Bella thought Jane had to be a cursed name. All the Janes she'd known were horrible: Felix's wife, Alec's sister, and the little demon in Riley's former preschool class who apparently thought pulling her daughter's hair was an Olympic sport.

He chuckled, getting into the elevator.

Running into Felix and the friendly smiles she got from Edward's co-workers as she found her way to his office served to steady her nerves somewhat. Reminded of her sedate, pedestrian existence, Bella could rest assured in the fact her life wasn't so easily destroyable as it had once been.

Still, the letter she clutched in her hand made her stomach twist, and she needed to see her husband and daughter to make herself believe everything was okay.

Luckily, both were conveniently located in the same place.

As soon as she reached the door to Edward's office, Bella finally felt like she could take a deep breath again. They were there, as she'd expected them to be. Riley was perched on Edward's lap, and their heads were bent together over his drafting table. Edward did all of his real work on his computer, but he'd kept a drafting table in his office for sentimental reasons. After Riley got old enough to color or draw, it became her art table when she visited him at work.

They made a pretty picture, her family.

Edward looked up and smiled instantly when he saw her standing there. He ducked his head, whispering something into Riley's ear. The little girl looked up, her bright eyes shining. "Mommy!" she cried, wiggling down from her perch. She ran a few steps. Stopped. Gasped. Ran back and grabbed the huge sheet of draft paper she'd been working on before she ran over to Bella again. "Mommy, look! I build-ed a building like Daddy!"

Bella swooped down and enveloped Riley in a hug, lifting her right off her feet. She closed her eyes, kissing the side of the little girl's hair.

"Mommy." Riley said the word with a whine, wriggling, trying to push away from Bella. "You're squishing my building!"

"I'm sorry, little bird." Bella caught Edward's worried eyes on her and gave him a tight smile, letting him know it wasn't anything dire. Setting her daughter down, she put on a happy face. "Why don't you tell me about it."

Riley set her work down on the coffee table and got to her knees while Edward and Bella sat on the couch behind her. Edward twined his fingers with hers instantly, and his touch soothed the remainder of her nerves. She squeezed his fingers, once again reassuring him she was fine.

Piece by piece, the little girl explained the haphazard shapes that made up her building. "An' this is a rowanda."

"A rotunda?" Bella laughed.

Riley gave her a dirty look. "That's what I said," she responded saucily.

"Really, Edward, rotunda?"

He smirked. "Riley can speak architecture," he said proudly.

Bella's chest filled with warmth at the smile on his face. No one could deny how much he loved his daughter.

Never once in the last five years had Edward's love ever faltered. He cherished Riley, adored her. He was a wonderful, loving father.

Still, especially days like today, Bella couldn't deny where Riley came from. She looked a lot like Alec and Jane. Her eyes were the exact same color - though warm instead of chilling - her hair as dark as Alec's, and some of her features as fine as Jane's.

Bella let out a shaky breath.

"Little bird, why don't you pack up all your things so we can go home," Edward suggested gently, his eyes intent on Bella even as he spoke to Riley.

"Okay," the little girl agreed cheerfully.

Edward bent his head closer to Bella, so he could talk low, near her ear. "What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, Bella handed him the letter she'd received in the mail earlier that day.

It wasn't the first time Alec's parents had written with their plea to let them be a part of Riley's life. They'd wanted to see her. They tried calling her at first, but her ever protective husband had put a stop to that. Bella wasn't anything but grateful.

The first year had been the hardest. Bella had been jumpy, paranoid, and haunted by the image of Alec's dead body whenever she closed her eyes. Edward had been a godsend. He never lost patience with how often he had to calm her down, never failed to hold her after a nightmare, and kept his hurt from her when she had to push him away.

It had been hard work, and a lot of therapy, but she'd recovered both physically and mentally from her ordeal. Some fears lingered - she still couldn't go in smaller enclosed spaces, among other things - but mostly, she was happy.

Still, it was well over a year before she agreed to talk to Santiago and Renata Rossi, Alec's parents. Renata didn't bother to hide how much she blamed Bella for Alec's death. Edward had retaliated by providing them with a limited copy of the official police report glossing over Bella's injuries and how they'd been incurred.

Then there was James.

He was caught only a week after the attack, brought in initially on parole violations. His confession - part of a plea bargain - implicated not only Alec, but his twin sister Jane. Jane - serving a 25 year sentence for other crimes - had something over him. What that was was never clear, but James gave the cops enough to add another decade to her sentence in exchange for them getting him transferred out of the Washington prison system, away from Jane's reach.

The last two years, Alec's parents' letters had been apologetic. It was a lot to deal with, they explained. Since he had reformed as a teen, Alec had been their pride and joy - their only solace after losing their daughter to crime. It was difficult to accept he'd been a different kind of monster.

The latest letter was a plea. Jane, finally too bereft without her twin, had committed suicide. Riley was the only connection they had left to either of their children.

"We don't owe them anything," Edward told her later that night, after Riley was asleep.

With his arms tight around her, Bella could think rationally. Nothing she knew about the Rossis suggested they were dangerous. They were upstanding citizens. Perhaps ironically, the worst that could be said about them, if Alec could be believed, was that they were as demanding and cold as Edward's grandfather ever had been.

"I don't know what the right thing to do is," Bella admitted.

She was quiet for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts and fears.

"We always knew we had to tell Riley the truth someday," Bella said shakily, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.

Edward's body stiffened beside her, and Bella's heart ached. She knew he worried. It would kill him if Riley thought he was any less her father just because they had no biological tie.

Shifting, Bella caught his face in her hands. "She knows who you are, Edward. Nothing's going to change that connection."

His eyes were cautious but soft as he looked back at her, putting his hands over hers on his cheeks. "You really think it's time to tell her?"

"I think I'd like to put it off forever," Bella muttered truthfully. She'd known for years this would be the hardest thing she would ever do. "But it's time."

They'd discussed this. They both knew it was better to let Riley know earlier. Not everything, of course, but what her five-year-old mind could handle. It would be easier for her to understand if they explained little by little as she grew. It would be easier for her to accept.

Edward closed his eyes and breathed deep. "Okay," he agreed. He took her hands and kissed her fingertips. "Let's get that done first, and then we can figure out if we even want to let the Rossis see her at all - or if she wants to see them."

Bella's head spun. It was a lot to consider, and she was terrified it would all hurt Riley, hurt her family.

"We'll be okay," Edward assured, kissing her softly.

With him at her side, Bella felt like she could handle anything.

_**~0~** _

Edward felt sick to his stomach with nerves. He balled his fists at his side and released, trying to manage the tension.

There was a fierce protectiveness inside him that roiled, looking for the threat he felt lurking in the shadows. He wanted to pounce. He wanted to annihilate anything that threatened or challenged his right to be a father to his little girl.

 _His_ little girl.

But there was no physical manifestation for the fear he felt. He could growl all he wanted, a tiger ready to defend what was rightfully his, but ultimately, no one was going to take Riley away from him.

Still, he couldn't deny he was afraid.

Bella's hand in his calmed him considerably.

Riley sat across from them looking pensive. She was picking up on their anxiety - he could tell - and was probably nervous that they asked to talk to her. She kicked her legs against her chair idly, waiting.

"Do you know how we explained to you about your cousins?" Edward finally began.

"Uh huh," Riley said, nodding. "Peter grew in Aunt Alice's belly just like I grew in Mommy's belly," she recited dutifully. "Henry grew in someone else's belly, but he is Aunt Rosie and Uncle Emmett's baby."

"That's exactly right," Edward said, smiling gently. His little girl was so smart. "There's something we want to tell you about how you grew."

Bella took over then, leaning forward, speaking softly. "See, it takes a man and a woman to make a person. You are Daddy's and my baby, but it was another man who helped me make you." Her voice cracked, and her fingers trembled. Edward switched his grip, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Riley blinked, her eyebrows furrowed in consternation. Her eyes flicked between her parents worriedly. "What's that mean?" she asked in a small voice. "Henry has a maker man and a maker girl and a mommy and daddy? And I has one maker and a mommy and daddy?"

It took a few moments for Edward to puzzle out her logic, but then he gave a little laugh. "Uh. That's... Yeah. That's about right, actually."

Standing, Riley darted the few feet over to them and clambered up on the couch, wedging herself between them. "So, the maker man gave me to you to love?" she asked, looking up at Edward with big eyes.

Edward's heart grew larger in his chest, filled with the impossible love he felt for this little girl. "Yes, little bird. I love you so much."

"An' you're not going to give me back?"

"No. Not ever."

"An' the maker man won't take me away?"

"He's... not around, baby," Bella said softly, stroking her hair.

Riley craned her neck to peer at her mother. "An' you won't give me away?" she verified.

"Never ever," Bella promised.

The three of them cuddled on the couch for a long minute.

"Okay," Riley said, nodding. "Can we has pizza tonight?"

Edward and Bella glanced at each other and they both had to laugh, the tension slipping from the atmosphere.

One hurdle cleared.

_**~0~** _

"I don't like this."

For once, Edward agreed 110% with his grandfather's assessment of the situation. He sighed. "I don't either," he admitted. "But it's the right thing to do."

The old man grumbled, his sharp eyes watching the couple across the room almost as carefully as Edward was.

Actually, the majority of adults in the house had their eyes surreptitiously trained on Renata and Santiago. After a great many conversations and strict instructions that they not speak to Riley without someone else around, the Rossis had been invited to the little girl's sixth birthday party. So far, everything had gone well. As everyone watched them, they watched Riley, happy for the time being just to see a living embodiment of their lost son.

Though Edward wasn't remotely comfortable having them near his daughter, he tolerated their presence.

Rather than dwell, Edward took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate on the good side of the situation.

It was heartening, for instance, how protective his family was being. It wasn't so long ago he sat on the fringes, alone and unable to fit in either with his grandfather or with the rest of his family. So much had changed. He was part of the whole now - accepted and loved. His little family melded in perfectly with his ever expanding family, his relationship with his brothers and parents ever evolving, repairing what had been broken between them so many years before.

Most surprising was exactly how much Edward the First had changed over the last six years.

When Carlisle had confronted his father, he'd unknowingly shaken the man straight to his foundation. It had not been an easy journey, and if Carlisle hadn't been who he was, the rest of the family might not have forgiven Edward the First for all he'd put them through so readily.

Though it hadn't been easy, Grandfather Cullen proved to be an old dog who could learn a few new tricks. It was a heartwarming thought. The man was getting on in his years, getting noticeably more frail, and though it might have been his own doing, the family was only happy that he wouldn't live out his final years alone.

Riley had no small role in the change the family had seen in the old man over the last six years. Maybe it was because she was the first child he could actually just enjoy, whom he had absolutely no dominion over. Maybe it was because of her name - he called her Riley Elizabeth almost without fail. Either way, he doted on the little girl, and she was, in turn, gentle and loving toward him.

Edward couldn't help but wonder how different their lives would have been had his grandmother lived.

But then, as with every bad thing in life, if things hadn't gone terribly wrong, Edward likely would never have been born, would never have lived through the rough times and come out the other end more capable of appreciating what he had than most children who took their families for granted.

Such was life.

So yes, despite the trials and tribulations, despite the discomfort of having to deal with things like the Rossis persistent insistence on being in his daughter's life, Edward couldn't be anything but grateful for how his life had turned out.

_**~0~** _

Bella looked in the mirror, studying her reflection as she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed.

The longer she lived, the more Bella realized the old saying of turning a new page in life wasn't entirely correct. Life came in chapters - so many chapters for each story - but it also came in longer stretches.

Life, she decided as she stared at herself, was not merely one book but a whole series, each tome varied and unique in its challenges though the characters might only change a very little.

It seemed to her that her last book had ended without her being aware, and what an eventful time it had been. She'd found a family. She'd found a place in the world and a job she loved. She'd learned how to be a wife and mother. She'd defeated the demon in her life and the shadow he'd cast on her psyche, though she would always bear the scars he left behind, mentally and physically.

Now, a new book began, its pages fresh, old beloved characters ready and new characters yet to be discovered.

Happy and a little bemused by her own thoughts, Bella went to join her husband for bed.

She lingered in the doorway a moment, a long familiar warmth spreading through her bloodstream, filling her chest, making her feel like she could fly. Sometimes it still seemed so unreal that he belonged to her. How was it possible she found him when she was so lost - a dot of sand on an unfamiliar beach. And why had he been drawn to her - a strange, sobbing, pregnant stranger amidst all the insanity that was Las Vegas? A little girl with nothing when he'd long been a grown man with everything?

As though he felt her gaze, Edward looked up and, as always, he smiled. He shut his laptop, putting it on the nightstand as he stood.

Bella reached for him as he reached for her and tilted her head up to catch his kiss. They'd long ago perfected this dance.

It had yet to stop sending thrills through her body.

His kiss was greedy tonight, his hands beginning to roam almost as soon as he brought her up against him. Bella's thoughts became thick almost instantly and she moaned a little against his mouth in anticipation.

Wait. No.

She had something to say.

He was trying to rewrite her prologue.

Her hands on his cheeks, she regretfully held his head still as she pulled back a little, trying to catch her breath.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, concern leaking into the desire in his eyes and body language.

Bella's heart sped but she couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him. "I wanted to tell you something before we..." She laughed, feeling giddy. "I'm pregnant."

It didn't escape Bella's notice he was the first one who'd ever heard her utter those words. What a world of difference. The first time she said it, her world had been falling down around her and he'd been the unfortunate stranger who happened upon her at the worst moment of her life. Now, he was the love of her life, her husband, her protector, and she was overjoyed at the prospect of taking this journey with him.

Then, he had looked a little like he was going to be sick. Now, his eyes absolutely lit up. His hands gripped her tight around her hips and his lips turned up in a grin so joyous, Bella couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up and out of her.

He kissed her. He kissed her lips, her cheeks, all over her chin. "Bella," he breathed. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

Though Riley never lacked for love, this pregnancy was already so, so different. This baby had been planned - Bella was done with school, settled in her job and they were ready. They'd been sans birth control for going on five months now. He or she was cherished from when they were merely a twinkle in their parents' eyes and conceived in love.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Edward murmured reverently against her lips. "You and my babies. You're everything to me, Bella. Everything."

She kissed him long, slow, and serious. "I love you. So much," she whispered.

He sat on the bed, pulling her down with him, their lips parting only to whisper sweet nothings, affirmations of love for each other and their children. And before he made love to her, Edward peppered a thousand tiny kisses across her belly, greeting the child they'd created for the first time, beginning the newest book of their story with all the sweetness and adoration the world could hold.

_**~Fin~** _

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ginny is awesome. That is all. *eyeroll* Ginny wrote that, but it isn't untrue. And she's the father of this fic. She was with me through its conception (which is not as kinky as you might think) and a troubled pregnancy and now it's here... all finished and complete and beautiful and stuff.
> 
> So yes, thank you to GinnyW, and a healthy helping of thanks also to Shug, barburella, jfka06.
> 
> And youz guyz! Omg. Do you realize this is my first fic to ever hit 5k reviews? It's thrilling. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I love reading your kind words and your reactions. I wish I could reply to each and every one of you. I'm so sorry I can't.
> 
> What's next:
> 
> Right now, I have two other E/B stories going. Just a Number is another olderward fic. Lost Half is a pretty dark kidnapping creeptastic mc angstersons fic. I have more coming in the future, but it's all hush hush stuff right now *shifty eyes*


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